Club Tryst
by SheWhoBringsDarkness
Summary: Eren is just a guy trying to support his younger brother. When he loses his job suddenly, he lands another in a place he would have never expected…& ends up going much deeper than he ever intended. Shy is something Eren has never been, and while he would have believed that would lead to him taking his clothes off for cash, he certainly didn't see himself falling for a stripper...
1. Chapter 1

So I uploaded this story on another site last summer and decided to upload it here. It's one of my first Attack on Titan fixed and my friend challenged me to make a stripperAU which i wasn't sure about but decided to give it a go. So here it is. Concrit needed!

...

Chapter 1

Eren is just a guy trying to support his younger brother. When he loses his job suddenly, he lands another in a place he would have never expected…& ends up going much deeper than he ever intended. Shy is something Eren has never been, and while he would have believed that would lead to him taking his clothes off for cash, he certainly didn't see himself falling for a stripper...

Eren was royally screwed.

He'd been working at the Wall Rose Diner for ages. He knew the owner practically since birth, so he had job security and better pay than he'd get anywhere else in food service. The environment was fast-paced but not too stressful, and he went home tired but not quite dead to the world. The best part was that since he worked the night shift for the 24-hour restaurant, he got home in time to make his little brother breakfast and drive him to school before passing out. Armin seemed to appreciate the arrangement, because he even had time to eat dinner together and get some help on his schoolwork before Eren left for work. Today was no exception; he picked Armin up from school, asked him about his day, helped him with some homework and made him dinner before heading for work.

Unfortunately, his perfect schedule and perfect job had just been yanked out from under him. He went into work only to find that the owner had suffered a heart attack and his son and only surviving heir was inheriting the restaurant. He was closing it down and selling it, firing all the workers with no additional pay. Eren was practically sobbing when he called his best friend, Mikasa. Thankfully he'd found out about it before her shift at her own job even started, so she told him to come over right away so they could talk.

After she'd calmed him down, she made him some tea and sat next to him on her couch, rubbing his back. "Okay, now tell me what happened."

He went over the whole story, which she could actually understand now that he wasn't blubbering and muffled through the phone. He told her how the owner was such a good man and the only father figure he really knew. He explained how his son was a heartless bastard who sold the place right out from under them with no notice and no severance package. He told her how it would be impossible to find another job in this economy with good enough pay to support himself and Armin with a schedule that wouldn't ruin their current setup. He cried about his rent being due in two weeks, and that if he couldn't support Armin, his brother would get thrown into foster care, and he just couldn't bear that.

Once Eren had cried and wailed until his voice was raw, Mikasa shoved the tea into his hands and took a breath. "All right. So now that we know the problems, let's work on a solution."

Eren scoffed. "Like it's that easy. In this economy?"

"Night jobs are easier to come by because no one wants them." Mikasa told him, sipping at her own tea calmly. "Connie, our bartender, is leaving in a week and Erwin hasn't hired a replacement yet. Why don't you come to work with me tonight and apply?"

Eren blinked at her. And blinked again. "Mikasa, you work at a strip club."

Mikasa sighed. "As a hostess. All the dancers are men. Connie bartends and he doesn't dance. It's not a bad place, Eren." She took a sip of her tea. "And besides, the stripping is only in the back building Thursday through Saturday. The rest of the week, it's just a swanky bar and grille."

Eren frowned. He wasn't thrilled, but at this point, what choice did he have? And besides, Mikasa was the most level-headed person he knew. If she didn't find the place to be unbearable, it was probably all right. After a moment of thought, he nodded.

"Okay. I'll come check it out."

Club Tryst was a classy place on the corner of Trost Road and Maria Avenue…hence the name "Maria's" for the attached restaurant. The club's name, of course, was a play on 'Trost', and Eren had to appreciate it, because the Wall Rose Diner had been named for the two roads it was on: Wall Street and Rose Boulevard. His heart was still heavy with grief and his eyes stung from crying as they entered the back building. It was a Friday night, so the restaurant was already busy, but it was still fairly early, so the clubbers hadn't come out yet.

"Mikasa…early as usual. And you've brought a friend with you…?" A tall, blond man spoke as he approached her.

"Yes, Erwin…this is my good friend Eren. Eren, this is my boss, Erwin. He owns the club and the restaurant. Eren lost his job today and I was wondering if he could work with Connie tonight as a sort of application for the job opening? He's 21." Mikasa suggested.

Erwin nodded thoughtfully. "Well, if you come recommended from Mikasa, I'll have to take you up on it! She's the hardest worker I have here. What did you used to do, Eren?"

Eren looked up at him with his full attention. "I worked at the Wall Rose Diner, sir."

"Oh, a nice place. It's always busy there, and Pixis is a great man." Erwin replied.

Eren frowned, a stabbing pain running through his chest. "Y-yes…um…Mr. Pixis actually…he, uh, passed away in his sleep last night. His son closed the restaurant."

Erwin blinked at him. "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that…so they just let everyone go unexpectedly? Surely they could run it without him until someone purchased it?"

Eren shook his head. "No…his son, he just sold out to some big business that's been wanting to build condos there for years. Wasted no time, too."

Erwin frowned. "How unfortunate and terrible for all of you. Well, I can't possibly turn you away with a story like that. Come on, I'll introduce you to Connie and he can show you the ropes."

Erwin put an arm around Eren and led him over to the expansive bar, where he met Connie. He was a nice kid; energetic, but excited to get the hell out of there all the same. He was leaving town to pursue higher education, and he told Eren all about it as he showed him where everything was, taught him how to mix the drinks and stressed how important it was to chat with the customers and be personable, but also quick with the orders. It could get busy, especially on Fridays and Saturdays…but Eren wasn't too worried. He'd dealt with lunch and dinner rushes at Wall Rose for so long, this was going to be a breeze. He didn't even need to carry around food here.

"Now the guys, some of them like a drink before the show…helps loosen 'em up. Jean likes straight-up JD on the rocks, but make sure it's a double on Fridays. Reiner just wants a single shot of Jaeger. Marco likes his Patron Silver on the rocks with a twist of lime and Bert…never call him Bert, he's 'Holt' on stage, he likes his vodka. Just the cheap stuff, but bring him the whole bottle." Connie explained, and Eren took to memorizing it all. "Levi just likes ice water, but it's gotta be from a bottle. We keep some in a cooler under the bar. Don't ever give him tap water unless you're into getting chewed out."

"Right…no tap water. Guess he's a purist?" Eren commented.

"Neat-freak. He hates dirt and filth and any form of grime. Erwin has to order in the organic, purified water for him and the pole has to be cleaned for him before every dance. That's why he usually dances first and last…easier that way. You know how hard it is to buff the fingerprints out of those poles? Annoying as hell." Connie grumbled. "He's allowed to be a diva, though, I guess. He's Erwin's favorite. Been here the longest, and he's the crowd favorite. Gives some hope for us short guys…"

Eren nodded slowly. "So he's picky about his water, doesn't like being dirty, and he's short."

"Okay, so he's got like an inch on me, but still. The ladies love him. He's all focused and serious when he dances…not like the others, they really get into it. Levi always leaves 'em wanting more and I guess that's what keeps 'em coming back." Connie explained. "He's also the only one who doesn't go home with a gaggle of women every night, so there's that, too. The ladies always want what they can't have…"

"Is that your excuse, now?" A female voice piped up teasingly.

Connie jumped slightly. "Jesus, Sasha…you scared me."

"Erwin said we got some new blood…wanted to come introduce myself." The brunette replied. "I'm Sasha…I waitress here. Basically, I'll be handing out the drinks you make to the people not sitting at the bar."

Eren nodded. "Nice to meet you. I'm Eren Jaeger."

Connie's eyes went wide. "Dude, your last name is Jaeger? Holy shit, Erwin has to hire you. Bartending's in your name!"

Sasha chuckled at that, and Eren just ran a nervous hand through his hair. "Anyway." The girl piped up. "Over there is Annie, and that's Petra. They also waitress, as well as promote at the other clubs around town for us." She pointed to the other girls, who turned and waved.

"Oh, almost forgot…Zoe usually only comes in around close, but she handles our books. Just…don't ask her anything about the club or accounting; she'll talk your ear off for three hours." Connie warned.

Sasha grabbed herself a coke before heading over to where the other ladies were. "Well, good luck on your first night, Eren."

"Thanks." He called back with a genuine smile.

Connie turned to him, slapping his hands on the bar. "Okay, so…let's get our strippers some drinks, shall we?"

Eren prepped the drinks on his own, with Connie's constant supervision. He was actually impressed with how well the kid had memorized everything. When he was done, he loaded everything up on the tray, and they headed for the back room.

"Gentlemen!" Connie bellowed as he burst through the door, Eren in tow with the tray of drinks.

"Conn-ay!" A chorus of cheers went up, and they laughed, looking to the door.

"I have some fresh meat for you…Erwin's trying him out today. Name's Jaeger, and he's probably gonna be my replacement, so get used to him." Connie told them.

"Jaeger? No shit?" Reiner commented, taking his drink of the same name off the tray.

"It's Eren Jaeger…you can call me Eren, really." He replied with a slight blush. Pretty much every guy in the room was topless, tan and freaking cut. Eren had never really put much thought into his sexuality at all, since he was too focused on school and work to actually have a social life, but he was now 100% certain he was at least bisexual for any one of the guys in the room, at the very least.

"Nah, you're definitely Jaeger, kid." Jean said with a chuckle, taking his JD. Eren just decided to learn which one was which by watching them take their drinks.

Marco stepped up and grabbed his Patron, followed by Bert, or rather, "Holt", who snatched the (admittedly small) bottle of vodka and just started chugging. He was met with looks of disdain, but they were quickly masked. Eren deduced from process of elimination that the quiet guy on the couch must have been Levi. He tucked the tray under his arm and padded over, handing him the water.

"Levi, right?"

He nodded, taking it as he looked the boy up and down. "Yes. Your name's Eren?"

The boy nodded. Levi took a long drink from the bottle after cracking the top open, sighing in satisfaction before returning his eyes to Eren's. He merely nodded right back, then turned to Connie. "You can tell Erwin I only need the pole for my first routine. He needn't bother wiping it down again until after close."

Connie gave a thumbs up. "You got it. C'mon, Eren. We open soon."

A chorus of "See ya, Jaeger!" and "Bye, new kid!" followed them out as they shut the door behind them and headed back for the bar.

Connie showed him a few more things before the lights flickered and Erwin's voice cut through the chatter, "House opens in 10!"

A few acknowledging responses followed, and Connie quickly wiped down the bar. "All right. Last question: are you gay?"

Eren sputtered. "Wh-what? I don't—I mean, I don't really date…at all. I like…women, sure. But, guys are, you know, also…"

Connie rolled his eyes. "Dude, no judgment. Just saying, those guys are distracting to me, and I'm straight. When they hit the stage, usually you're gonna be distracted your first night…but even moreso if you're not just interested in looking."

Eren shook his head. "It won't be a problem. Once I get a focus on something it's hard to distract me. If I'm working, I probably won't even notice the stage."

Connie snorted. "Sure, kid. You just keep thinking that."

Erwin called a huddle for the non-dancer staff five minutes before open. He introduced everyone to Eren again, in case anyone got missed, and went over a few procedures and crowd forecast for the night (it was going to be a full house based upon the crowd outside). He ended with telling Connie to keep an eye out for Eren and help him out through the night before clapping them both on the back.

"All right, everyone…good luck tonight, let's do some business!" Erwin piped up.

Everyone gave an affirmative little whoop before heading off to their stations. Erwin went to go prep the dancers and kill the lights as Mikasa opened the doors.

Eren was slammed with drink orders within two minutes of the doors opening. Connie was impressed with how well he kept up, laughing as he watched him slide another drink over to Sasha for delivery.

"Just wait 'til the music starts, kid. Good luck hearing orders."

Eren groaned. Now that was one thing the diner hadn't prepared him for.

Yet another thing Wall Rose could have never prepared him for was when Erwin stepped onto the stage. He'd been wearing a full suit before, but now he was just wearing the trousers and shoes with a vest and bowtie with no shirt or jacket, revealing muscular, toned arms. The ladies screamed as he skirted the edge of the stage, mic already attached to his ear.

Eren didn't get to hear his whole speech over the drink orders, but he was basically riling up the audience and explaining the whole no touch rule. Apparently that was a very big deal to him and Connie explained over the roar of cheers that although most club owners constantly broke the rules, especially at male-dancer clubs where cop presence was literally zero, Erwin was extremely strict about it because of his own morals and Levi's essential phobia of anything germy, including strangers and their unwashed hands.

"He seems really protective of Levi." Eren commented, off-hand.

Connie shrugged. "Guy makes him good friggin' money…and they go back a ways."

Eren's attention was drawn to the stage yet again when the crowd practically screeched. The lights dimmed as Erwin made his way off-stage and a shadowed figure approached the pole from backstage. The spotlight came on abruptly, brightening up the area were Levi now sat on his knees, splayed openly around the pole as he gripped it with his right hand. He was wearing a dark cloak over his shoulders and relatively dark clothing, but there didn't seem to be a particular theme to it. The crowd went wild again as a heavy bass thudded through the speakers and Levi started gyrating his hips. He moved with a sort of grace and precision that seemed so like him, but his face held little more than a smirk as he kicked a leg up, cartwheeling to the other side of the pole without letting it go. He tossed off his cloak with a flourish before grinding his ass along the pole in time with the beat, eliciting shrill cries of delight from the audience. He took his time stripping, getting out of his shirt with long, slow circles of his hips that had the ladies crooning and begging for it. His chest was toned, but surprisingly pale…he practically glittered under the stage lights. He threw the garment into the crowd before going back to the pole, then all bets were off.

And damn, the man could move. He worked the pole like an expert; not some cheap go-go dancer paid just to hold it and shake her hips, oh no. Levi made that pole dance, twisted and twirled around it with practiced expertise, flipping up just to slide back down, spinning and dropping dramatically with the beat, and the ladies were screaming for it. Eren didn't even notice Connie was taking care of all his orders out of sheer amusement at the look on his face as he watched Levi move, completely unaware of the rest of the club. The orders had even slowed down because everyone was just so damn focused on watching Levi dance.

Levi flipped off the pole and landed in an impressively dramatic half-split, standing slowly with his back to the audience. He gripped at his tear-away pants and pulled them off, leaving him in nothing but skintight, black booty-shorts that were practically painted on. He finished his routine by spinning to the bottom of the pole and landing on his knees, spread-eagle toward the audience. The music ended and the shrieks were deafening, money flying at him from all sides. He sat there and almost appeared to bask in it for a moment before standing, going to retrieve his cloak. He draped it over his shoulders and waved to the audience, biting his lip obscenely as he exited the stage.

Eren didn't even realize he hadn't moved for the entire routine until Connie shoved him, telling him to quit drooling and get back to work.

Oh yes. Eren was royally fucking screwed.

A/N Reviews are appreciated! Along with concrit!


	2. Chapter 2

Eren spent the rest of the night trying extra hard to focus on his drink orders. Thankfully, the other dancers weren't nearly as distracting as Levi. They were a little hammier with a lot more thrusting and wide smiles and ass-shaking, and it was easier to laugh with Connie about their ridiculous (albeit effective) antics. Sure enough, though, the ladies were loving it...and the other guys gave more than enough lap-dances to make up for Levi's no-touching rule.

All the guys came out for a group routine at half-time, and Eren couldn't help but be drawn to watch Levi, who was front and center. It was easier to see when they were all dancing together just how much their styles varied. Jean was a reckless dancer with wild hips and a smile like he really enjoyed the job. What Reiner lacked in coordination he more than made up for in muscle, and his dramatic posing had every girl swooning. Marco was smooth as silk...all slow, rolling movements that slid down his whole body. Bert was almost too drunk to function, with sporadic, jerky thrusts that were only forgiven by the crowd because of his enthusiasm. And Levi...he was in a class all his own. He moved with precision, like he'd calculated exactly where he would land down to the millimeter, but it was with a fluidity that rivaled Marco regardless. Despite their differences, they moved almost entirely in unison, save for Bert...who was clearly too drunk to follow along entirely.

Eren managed to tear his eyes away long enough to make the few orders that came in, and by the time they started getting really busy at the bar, all the guys had left the stage to change and reset for the next act. Erwin came back out to keep the crowd occupied, and he really knew how to rile them up.

Marco came out to do his next individual dance a little while later, and Eren did little more than glance up between orders. The routine was cheesy; classic Latin lover clad in velvet with a rose in his teeth...but it had the ladies crooning so he supposed that did it for some people.

Once he finished, Erwin came out to announce that "Holt" was coming out next...only to look off stage to someone beckoning him. He frowned, apologizing before rushing off. Eren had been too busy making a martini to notice.

Connie nudged him, tossing his chin to the stage. "Sounds like Bert passed out again. Erwin's not gonna keep him around if he keeps this up."

Eren frowned. "Well he did have a lot to drink."

Connie snorted. "Dude's doing more than drinking. Drug test is coming up and I have the feeling he's getting the boot."

Eren looked to the stage, which was eerily empty still. Suddenly, he was accosted from the open side of the bar, someone grabbing his arm and dragging him off as he yelped in surprise. Connie watched in confusion, but let it happen.

"Hey, new kid. Please tell me you can dance." Erwin was rushing them around the crowd and back behind the stage.

"Wait, what?" Eren balked, stumbling as he was shoved gently into the prep area. Bert was passed out on the couch, head hanging off the side with a vomit bucket right under him. The other guys were milling around with looks of concern, save for Levi, who was in the opposite corner untangling some kind of network of straps.

"I need someone to fill Bert's spot. Connie has the rhythm of a moose. Please tell me you can dance." Erwin was all but begging.

"Er...well..." Eren stammered. "I mean, I've never..."

Levi piped up from the corner, not even looking up from his tangle of leather. He spoke calmly, barely any inflection in his tone. "Play the virgin angle. Let them know they're seeing his first time stripping. They'll fall all over it."

Jean snapped his fingers. "Dude, that's genius. They can pop his stripper cherry! Better than just having one of us go out again."

Erwin seemed to consider this, turning back to Eren with both hands on the boy's shoulders. "Kid, can you do it? You'll make triple whatever you're gonna make bartending tonight."

Eren gulped. He really needed this job and he didn't want to disappoint his potential new boss on his first night. Plus, making triple what he was already making on tips at the bar was beyond tempting. Armin's birthday was coming up, and with a job like this, he could afford to get him something nice.

After a long while, he gave a determined nod, "Okay…but I'm gonna need a drink."

Jean, Marco and Reiner whooped, clapping him on the back. Erwin just sighed in relief, patting his shoulder. "I'll get you your drink. Be ready in five."

Eren was in a bit of a daze after that. He barely heard the jumble of the guys trying to give him pointers all at once, all but Bert, who was still passed out, and Levi, who was still fiddling with his straps in the corner. He vaguely noticed Sasha popping in to hand him a double-shot of Jaeger (screw his name, he didn't even like Jaeger), and downed it before he lost the nerve. Erwin was already on the platform, working the crowd as Jean shoved him through the door so he was just off-stage. He twitched anxiously until he felt the alcohol settle warmly in the pit of his stomach, soothing the worst of his nerves.

Erwin moved to the side, gesturing widely with one arm, and suddenly Eren was shoved into the spotlight. The crowd went bonkers. Well, at least they thought he was cute. A slow, classic stripping song came over the speakers, and he took that as his cue.

He supposed it was okay to seem nervous, since they were playing the virgin card, and he was kind of grateful for that. He'd also later be grateful for all the screams drowning out Mikasa's mortified shout of, "EREN?!"

He started with his belt, popping it open and sliding it out of the loops in one swift motion. He tossed it to the other side of the stage before going for his shirt. Once he'd gotten it over his head, the crowd pretty much squealed. He was naturally tan, and all the heavy lifting he'd done around the diner had kept him in shape...plus biking with Armin on the weekends and keeping up with a fifteen-year-old in general. He wasn't cut, but he had no visible extra fat to speak of; lean and trim, perfect for his height. He smiled nervously, ruffling his hair to fix the damage the shirt had done as he dropped it as well.

The crowd seemed to like that, judging by the noises they were making. He toed off his shoes, sliding them to one side of the stage before going for his fly. Suddenly that double shot of Jaeger wasn't doing it for him anymore. But at his hesitation, the crowd just cheered louder, some whistling, some yelling, "Take it off, baby! Yeah!"

Eren swallowed the lump in his throat and went for it, unbuttoning the fly and tugging the zipper down, splaying it open. He was so freaking thankful he'd worn normal underwear today; just dark green boxer-briefs. The sounds of the crowd encouraged him and he shoved them down to his ankles before stepping out of them. The audience went crazy, and before he knew it, Erwin was back on the stage, gesturing to him and encouraging more applause as bills flew at them from every side.

Jean, Reiner and Marco came out, hoisting the boy onto their shoulders, which just made the women shriek louder. They carried him off the stage, depositing him in the back room with raucous cheers.

"Way to go, Jaeger!" Jean piped up.

"Not bad for a virgin." Reiner added, ruffling the boy's hair.

Eren was blushing furiously, waving him off. Erwin came rushing back into the room, holding Eren's clothes.

"You're a lifesaver, Eren. They loved you." The taller man leaned in and gave him a huge kiss on the forehead as he handed him his things. "I'll collect all your tips, you can have those plus what you got at the bar. Consider yourself hired."

"Oh, uh...awesome. Wait. Am I bartending or dancing?" Eren blinked at him.

Erwin huffed a laugh. "I'm down a dancer and you'll make three times as much as you would bartending...but whatever you want to do."

Eren nodded slowly. "I'll think about it. Is that okay?"

"Sure, sure. We can work out the details after close. Levi, you're up. Closing number." Erwin called over his shoulder.

"On it." Levi replied much softer, already heading for the side of the stage.

"Put your clothes on, kid...and come watch Levi work." Erwin told him, heading around the other side to the hall that led to the audience. Eren rushed to pull his pants on, then tugged on his shirt before following.

By the time Eren got to where Erwin was standing off to the side behind one of the tables, the lights were off again and a hush had fallen over the crowd. A low, sultry beat came over the speakers, the lights went up and the crowd responded in turn. Levi was dressed in black leather: tight pants that hugged every curve and a high-collar jacket zipped all the way shut. He was hanging from a cable strung from the lighting rig, and he spun, pace keeping time with the beat.

He dropped off of the cable and slid, arching back and ripping off his jacket, and Jesus Christ, Eren was never going to be able to hear this song again without popping a boner. Levi flung off the jacket, revealing his chest, which was paler than ever, a stark contrast to the network of dark straps criss-crossing his torso. He slid down to the front of the stage on his knees, writhing to the music for a little longer before pulling away his pants, revealing yet more straps and literally nothing else. The thicker straps at his waist were the only thing hiding the things they legally had to.

The ladies went berserk to the point that it was deafening, and if Eren had a little more presence of mind, he may have realized that his mouth was hanging open. Levi flipped over onto his knees and slid backwards along the floor, rolling his hips like he was making sweet, passionate love to someone underneath him, and holy shit Eren wanted so badly to be the floor in that moment that it was mildly painful.

The bills were already flying as Levi got back up on his knees at the center of the stage, sliding his hands down his own chest and over his abs, arching his back. He bit his lip again, such a simple gesture, but for a moment he looked like he was actually in the throes of it and it was hot.

Levi finished his dance to resounding applause and screams, walking off the stage with a swagger that was all natural confidence. Eren didn't even realize that Erwin had left his side until he saw him on the stage, thanking everyone for coming out and letting them know it was closing time.

Eren made his way back to the bar to help Connie clean up, learning how to close just in case if he did decide to bartend. Connie teased him only mildly about the stripping, but told him he was gonna go far if he took pointers from the others to get better.

Once everyone had cleared out, the waitresses had moved all the tables together in the middle of the room and Connie and Eren brought drinks over for everyone. He explained it was a sort of closing ritual for the staff to all share drinks and conversation at the end of the night while Zoe counted the tips and divvied the admission earnings.

The dancers were all in jeans or sweats and tank-tops now, save for Levi, who was wearing a hoodie on top of that. His hair was damp and clinging to his face, so Eren assumed there must have been showers backstage. Mostly everyone just drank beer after the show, knowing they had to drive home soon. Levi stuck with his water, which Eren handed to him while trying not to blush too obviously.

They laughed and chatted for a while, Erwin explaining that he had Bert's sister come pick him up and that he was definitely on Ecstasy so he'd fired him. With that, he turned to Eren.

"I'm willing to offer you his position. Everything you earn is under the table so it really is good money. Not everyone's cut out for it, but I think with a bit of training, you'll be really good." Erwin told him.

"But...it's only Thursday through Saturday, right?" Eren asked.

Erwin nodded. "For the dancers. My waitresses work at Maria's the rest of the week except Sundays."

Eren looked thoughtful. "If I dance, can I still bartend at Maria's on Monday through Wednesday?"

Erwin looked impressed. "If you want. That income gets claimed, though...save for tips."

"Yeah, no, that's fine. Perfect, actually. When can I start?"

Mikasa frowned at him, looking concerned. She leaned into him, voice low. "Eren, are you sure? I brought you here to bartend, not strip."

Eren smiled, shaking his head. "No, this is better...if I can save up, maybe I can get Armin into that nice private school next year. He's too smart for the public school system..."

Mikasa had to concede to that, grinning fondly. "All right. We just can't tell your little brother what you really do, I think."

Eren looked mortified. "No, God no! He can't know. I'll just…tell him I bartend." Well, it wasn't a total lie.

Erwin clapped his hands together. "Perfect! You can start tomorrow. Come in a couple hours early and we'll have you do some paperwork and train with the guys. The virgin bit is only good the first time. Let's get you really dancing."

Eren nodded, and just like that, he felt his worries melting away. He had a replacement job...one that was paying twice as much as the last, with less hours and even Sundays off. He couldn't have prayed for a better solution.

They sat and chatted for a while, all except Levi, who barely said two words and sat sipping at his water, giving Eren a very pensive look every so often.

Once he'd been introduced to Zoe and the money had been divvied, Eren got a ride back with Mikasa. He picked his car up at her place and endured a small speech and more questions as to whether or not he was okay before she finally let him head home. It was the weekend, so Armin was going to want to sleep in. Eren let himself in and put his hand out for their dog to sniff as he came bolting to the door from Armin's room down the hall. He couldn't get clearance from the apartment complex to install an alarm system, but he didn't want Armin at home alone without protection. At first, they didn't want to allow a large-breed dog, but Mikasa told him to register the dog as an emotional support animal for Armin, which renters were legally not able to deny. It had worked, so Eren had gotten Armin a German Shepherd named Bean to keep watch over his brother.

Bean wagged his tail and licked Eren's hand, following him into the kitchen so he could get his nightly treat. "All right, go back to Armin's room."

The dog gobbled up his treat before happily obeying, trotting off down the hall and hopping back onto the foot of Armin's bed. Eren checked on him as he passed, and the boy was sound asleep as always. Eren grabbed a shower and changed before heading out into the living room. He wasn't used to being home this early...it was too soon to start breakfast. Instead he set himself an alarm on his phone and put on the TV, letting himself nod off on the couch for a couple of hours before he had to wake up to make breakfast.

He was actually awoken a little before his alarm with weight on his chest and something licking at his cheeks. He grunted and swatted at his face, Bean whining at him and licking his hand instead.

"Eren!" Armin piped up in his purposely whiney 'younger brother' voice as he shoved at his chest. "You only sleep out here when you get back early. Did Mr. Pixis send you home?"

Eren shook his head, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "No…I gotta talk to you about that. C'mon, I'll make you breakfast and explain everything."

Eren made pancakes and went over the whole situation; Mr. Pixis' death (Armin was devastated at the news), going over to Mikasa's, her bringing him to work and getting hired on the spot as a bartender by her boss, who was a really cool guy.

"So you work at a bar now?" Armin asked in between bites. "But you'll have the same hours?"

"Actually, I'll have less hours. I'll get home a little earlier so I can take a nap before I make you breakfast. And that means I'll be a lot less groggy on weekends, so we can do more fun stuff. Plus, I'll have Sundays off." Eren explained.

Armin beamed at that. "Really?"

Eren smiled right back, nodding. "Yeah…and I make more money at this place, so the cut in the hours won't actually hurt our income."

Armin practically jumped out of his seat. "That's amazing! Can we take Bean to the dog park on Sunday? He likes his walks but he really needs to run."

Eren grinned fondly at him. "Sure…I think I have a frisbee in the closet somewhere."

"Woohoo!" Armin yelped, turning to Bean. "You hear that, buddy? We're gonna have some fun with Eren tomorrow!"

The dog barked excitedly, probably not understanding but if his human was excited, so was he. Eren just watched the two happily. Somehow, his brother had completely skipped the bratty teen phase and was the absolute politest kid he knew. Most kids would be annoyed hanging out with their elder brother, but Armin actually looked forward to it. Eren was grateful he had such an awesome kid to call his brother.

"All right, kiddo. Dishes in the sink, then let's go take Bean here for a walk. You still wanna see that movie later, don't you?" Eren said.

Armin brought his dishes to the sink as ordered. "Heck yeah! Think you'll actually stay awake for this one?"

Eren chuckled, ruffling Armin's hair as he passed. "I took a nap so that might be something I can arrange."

"Sweet! Let's go see that new superhero movie! I heard it's really good, all the kids in my school were talking about it…"

Eren nodded, listening as Armin rambled. If he wasn't already glad about his job, he was thrilled now. Seeing Armin so happy about the schedule change was more than worth his dignity. And hell, if he could learn to look as graceful and natural as the other guys did up there, maybe his dignity would stay intact just yet.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

...

Eren and Armin managed to walk Bean around the neighborhood and then catch a matinee before Eren had to leave for work. Armin didn't have any homework, so he told his brother he was going to go hang out with a neighbor kid up the street and play video games. They had a yard and had told him to bring Bean as well. Eren offered his little brother another affectionate hair-ruffle before he headed out, telling him to be safe and text if he needed anything.

Eren wore sweats and an old t-shirt with his running shoes, figuring he was supposed to be working on his dancing like Erwin had said. When he arrived, Erwin went over some paperwork with him, had him sign some things and took copies of his driver's license before announcing that he was an official employee. He explained a few things, including the drug-screening process. Erwin ran a very strict show with zero tolerance for illegal drugs. He tested his dancers every month and his other staff every two months. It was something that was clearly important to him, and Eren assured him he'd never touched the stuff and he'd certainly stay on the straight-and-narrow. It was actually nice to see an employer in this profession who actually gave a damn about his staff's habits. With all of that gone over, Erwin showed him around through the back-stage area to another door which led to a small gym. There were some weights (which Reiner was utilizing), some rings and bars and a large dance-mat with mirrors lining the entire back wall. Jean and Marco were working on a routine in the middle while Levi stretched in the far corner.

"Hey, Jaeger! My man! I see you didn't chicken out!" Jean piped up, coming to greet him with something between a high-five and a handshake.

Eren returned it with a grin. "Wouldn't dream of it."

"All right, gentlemen…I have some things to attend to at Maria's, so I'm leaving Eren in your capable hands. Mold him into the best dancer he can be." Erwin said with a smirk.

"You got it, boss!" Marco replied as the other man left, leaving them to it. Both he and Jean looked Eren over. "Well, we already know you need work on your rhythm, so let's start with that."

Jean snapped to Reiner, and the man (who happened to be closest to the iPod and speaker system), leaned over and started up the music for them. A catchy, upbeat tune filled the space, and Jean clapped his hands together. "All right, let's teach you how to move those hips."

Levi watched with only mild interest as Jean and Marco went through the basics with him, having him close his eyes and feel the music, move and pretend no one was watching, the whole nine yards. Eren was a quick learner, and soon he actually started looking a bit more rhythmic and fluid when he moved. It truly did help Eren to imagine he was dancing alone, because unlike Jean and Marco, he really didn't thrive on attention. Once he had that down, the two men stood on either side of him, bending their knees into a wide stance.

"All right, now you learn the most important thing. The pelvic thrust." Jean told him, jerking his hips once toward the mirror.

"Hell yeah. The ladies love it when you grab their hair, shove their face right there and uhn-" Marco emphasized by pretending he was holding a woman in front of his crotch and snapping his hips in rapid succession.

"Er, are you sure that…I mean, I don't really think…" Eren stammered.

"Dude, it's the most important part! Come on, just pull back, and thrust. Back, thrust!" Jean demonstrated, biting his lip and grunting as he did so.

"Uh-"

"Jean, Marco…you're going to ruin him that way." Levi spoke, voice cutting through the music. He'd stood and approached them, and it didn't get past Eren how Jean and Marco instantly stood up straighter and backed away. He shook his head, coming up behind Eren and watching him in the mirror over his shoulder. "The way they dance is obvious. Predictable. You have the chance to be something else…would you rather give up all of yourself with every dance, or just enough and leave them wanting more?"

Reiner chuckled, turning down the music. "You should listen to him, kid. Levi gets the most tips, and even though he doesn't do private dances, he still gets the most requests for them."

"Er…right." Eren didn't need to be told to listen. He was hanging on every word.

Levi glanced back over his own shoulder. "Reiner, play me something from the slow list?"

"You got it." Reiner replied, setting down his weights to thumb through the nearby iPod. He clicked the right playlist and a sultry, thudding bass-beat flooded the room as Reiner turned up the volume a bit. Marco and Jean backed off, standing by the edge of the mat.

"Treat every song like a slow song…don't let a quick rhythm distract you. If you move slowly, more sensually…people will see you differently. If you just run out there pelvic-thrusting like a loon, you're going to look like a horny teenager." Levi told him.

Jean and Marco exchanged agreeable glances behind them, but Eren didn't notice; he was too busy watching Levi in the mirror behind him. The shorter man just blinked at him.

"Well? Go on."

Eren gulped, suddenly extremely self-conscious. He was fine when he thought Levi was in the corner ignoring him. Now that the man was behind him, he was a nervous wreck. "Uh…how do I…I mean, you say slow, but—"

"Oh for Christ's sake…" Levi grumbled, sliding up to press his torso into Eren's back. The younger man stiffened, his heart going a million miles an hour. Levi was touching him…his hands were grabbing his hips now, pinning them together, and holy fuck now he was rolling his, grinding them into him, forcing him to move with the beat. "There, like that…but not just at the hips. Let it roll through your body."

He felt Levi's chest shove against his shoulder-blades and followed the movement, letting it flow down from his shoulders to his waist, then his hips with a slow thrust. A few more moments and their bodies were rolling in unison.

"There, good. Now throw your head back." Levi carded a hand into the boy's hair and yanked, pulling it back onto his own shoulder. "Perfect. Don't just run around the stage flaunting like some kind of mating ritual. Display your body like the work of art that it is."

Eren tried to make some kind of an affirmative sound, but it really just came out as a wrecked little whimper. Levi's eyebrow perked up, and a hint of a smirk graced his lips.

"Very good, Eren. Now, hands." Levi let go of Eren's hair and hips, lacing his fingers through the younger man's and resting his palms on the backs of his hands. He brought them up to Eren's collarbone, pressing the boy's palms into his own chest while still keeping their hips moving in a sensual rhythm. "There…slide them down your chest."

Eren wasn't sure which one of them moved first, but their intertwined hands glided down his torso until they reached his hip bones. Levi's fingers skirted along under the hem of his shirt, causing his stomach to jump. He hooked their thumbs under the hem and pulled up, starting to remove Eren's shirt.

"There…then you take off the first piece. Make them work for it. They have to earn your body." Levi told him in a low voice, mouth next to his ear. That sent a completely debilitating shiver down his spine.

Their hips were still moving in tandem as Levi peeled the younger man's shirt off over his head and tossed it aside. Their hands broke apart so he grabbed his wrists now, pressing the boy's palms into his own chest again.

"Just like that…now feel the rhythm and let it tell you what you're going to do next." Levi encouraged.

The rhythm was telling him to remove all of their goddamn clothing and give this song a very happy ending, but well, there were people in the room and Eren wasn't certain Levi would be entirely into the idea. So, he stuck with dancing…if you could call it that; it was really just grinding at this point, but he did as he was told. He moved where the beat took him, leaning back into Levi maybe a little too much…but the other man didn't seem to mind, releasing his wrists and letting his hands find Eren's hips again.

After what felt like a long time, the song petered off and Levi gripped Eren's hips, pulling them back hard against his own in a signal for him to stop. When Eren stilled, the other man released him and stepped back.

"There, how did that feel?" Levi asked, regarding him for a moment.

How did it feel? It felt like his skin was burning with sensation, felt like his heart was trying to claw its way out of his chest…he felt like the only thing in the world he wanted was for the others to be gone and Levi to just keep going, preferably against the mirror and with much less clothing.

"It…uh…felt good. Natural, I mean. I think it'll come easier now on stage tonight. Thanks, Levi." Eren managed, hoping the flush on his neck and face wasn't as obvious as it felt. A glance at the mirror told him it was. Fuck.

"Good. We'll make a decent dancer out of you yet." Levi replied. "Now take a shower before first call. Your sweat is disgusting."

The man scrunched up his nose before walking off toward the showers himself. Eren probably would have been offended, but then he remembered the guy was kind of a neat-freak. He sighed and grabbed his shirt before heading for the showers himself.

"Gonna shower, I guess…see you guys in a bit." Eren offered over his shoulder with a wave. Jean, Marco and Reiner stared after him, giving him a strange look that he didn't even notice.

Eren wiped the sweat off his torso with his shirt as he headed through the hall to the showers, only to run into Erwin.

"Hey, Eren! How'd it go? The guys teach you a little something?" He asked, smiling.

Eren ran a hand through his hair. "Oh, yeah…definitely. I learned a lot."

"Ready for tonight, then?" He confirmed with a hopeful grin.

"Yeah, I guess…as I'll ever be." Eren replied with a shrug.

Erwin patted him on the shoulder. "That's the spirit. You're gonna do well here, I can tell."

For some reason, Eren could only see that as a compliment. Seedy reputations surrounding strip clubs aside, Erwin ran a good, clean business here and he was glad to be working for him. The taller man moved past him and Eren continued to the locker room. By the time he got there, Levi was already done showering and pulling on his too-tight shorts under his towel. Eren just resolved not to make eye contact as he headed into one of the shower stalls. He turned the water as cold as he could stand it before stepping under with a shiver. After that earlier performance, he needed the shock to his system to get back his senses.

It was getting close to show time when he got out toweled off. The others took their own showers and then Jean showed Eren where they kept all the costumes. Since he didn't have any routines yet, he told the younger man to keep it simple and stick to the classics; uniformed officers, construction worker, doctor, priest (he imagined most people found that one at least mildly offensive)…there was a lot to choose from and he was a little overwhelmed.

Erwin came in a little while later carrying some things from the stage that had been left over from some rehearsal most likely. "Hey, Levi…I've got a large reservation of army wives coming in tonight…can you break out 'The Corporal'?" He asked as he set the props back into their place.

Levi raised an eyebrow. "I can. I'll need a partner."

Jean scoffed. "Partner? More like victim. Last time you roped Connie into it and something tells me that ain't happening again."

Marco chuckled. "Yeah, guess he knows better now."

"Eren can do it." Erwin commented casually.

Eren cocked his head to one side. "Um…what's 'The Corporal'?"

Reiner snorted. "It's a routine Levi does…the army chicks eat it up. Basically it's a soldier and a superior officer, the soldier's tied to a chair, there's a riding crop involved…and sometimes Levi gets a little heavy-handed with it."

"It's light BDSM at worst, but Levi gets…well, really into character." Jean added. "We all know better than to volunteer."

Eren's brow furrowed. It couldn't be that bad, or else Erwin probably wouldn't allow it. "I'm sure I can handle it."

Jean, Marco and Reiner all exchanged skeptical looks, the latter speaking. "Your funeral, kid."

First of all, the only thing that was going to kill Eren was seeing Levi in that fucking uniform. He couldn't imagine how seeing a guy he had literally already witnessed almost entirely naked could somehow be even more attractive with most of his body covered. The uniform fit him like a glove, starched to perfection and bearing the symbol of a Lance Corporal. Well, close enough. Not that he gave a damn, because, well, damn. The click of Levi's boots when he walked, the rigid stance he'd adopted…it was all so in-character that he now understood why the others were wary. The riding crop in Levi's hands suddenly looked a lot more dangerous.

Eren himself had already changed into a black tank-top and some rip-away camouflage cargo pants tucked into unlaced, black combat boots. He shoved a matching camouflage hat over his hair, figuring it wouldn't hurt, and added fake dog-tags at Jean's suggestion. When he stepped out of his dressing room, Levi looked him up and down, his face giving nothing away.

"It suits you."

Eren smiled. "Thanks. I wanted to join the military for the longest time…ever since I was a little kid."

"What changed your mind?" Levi asked, actually sounding curious.

"Someone had to take care of Armin." Eren replied, not even a hint of regret in his voice.

Levi nodded slowly. "I was raised going to military schools…and although I found their teachings counterproductive, there are parts of it I miss."

"Like?"

"I find that a strict chain of command sets a standard that ensures optimum discipline." Levi told him.

Eren nodded slowly. "Right…so, you're my Corporal, and I'm your…Private?"

Levi smirked. "Precisely."

Eren was going to need another cold shower, he was sure of it.

The table of army wives were going to be leaving early, so Erwin wanted Levi and Eren to go out first. The stage was pitch black for setup but they could still hear the crowd chattering in the darkness. Levi carried out a metal chair, setting it in the center of the platform facing stage-right. Eren followed him out only to feel himself get yanked by the neck of his shirt and deposited into the chair by Levi. The other man rested one knee on the chair between Eren's legs and leaned over him.

"Clasp your hands together behind the chair." Levi ordered, low by his ear. And judging by his tone, it was certainly an order.

Eren complied, trying in vain to swallow the lump in his throat. He felt Levi threading a rope around his wrists. "This is…uh…pretty intense for my first official performance."

"This isn't entirely your performance." Levi reminded him. "You're a prop for half of it. The knot I'm tying will release if you pull…that's why you need to keep your hands together."

"Oh." Eren blinked at him in the darkness. "So what am I doing again? Just sit here and let you wail on me with a riding crop?"

Levi rolled his eyes. "I won't be 'wailing on you'. The others' stories are wildly exaggerated. And once you've had the crop, I pull you out of the chair and you dance for them while I watch. Then I move you aside and show you how it's done. You'll crawl off the stage, defeated, and get ready for your next set."

Eren nodded slowly, taking it all in. "All right…just…one request?"

Levi leaned back to regard him, though his leg was still on the chair. "Hm?"

"You can hit me however hard you want with the crop, just stick to places I can hide with a shirt and long shorts. I don't want my brother seeing marks." Eren replied.

Levi cocked his head, gloved hand coming under Eren's chin to tilt it up so they were eye-to-eye. He looked somewhere between amused and impressed. "This isn't even a scene. We're just playing pretend. Don't let what they said scare you. Not a mark on you, you have my word."

Eren nodded, his eyes locked on Levi's. For some reason, he felt like he could trust those words more than anything.

Levi stepped back, his leg coming off the chair and his hand dropping. "Good. Just…try to look defiant, like you're struggling. And flinch when you hear the crop."

Before Eren could respond, the lights came up, and the music started. Levi immediately snapped into character again, moving around him in flawless military fashion. The crop came down and Eren flinched, but he didn't feel anything. Only then did he realize that Levi had hit the chair. So then everyone really was just trying to scare him for no reason.

When he glanced up at Levi, trying to look defiant, the other man swatted at his hat from the bottom, knocking it off his head. The crop came down again, near his shoulder that time, but again it hit the chair. He still jumped a little at the noise, adding to the illusion. The audience 'oohed' interestedly at the display.

Their entire story was played without dialogue. Levi pretended to hit him with the crop a few more times, then grabbed the back of the chair, tipping it forward after turning it to face the center-front platform. The ropes came loose and Eren toppled out, trying to look flustered (it wasn't hard). Levi set the chair back down and sat in it, crossing his legs and raising an eyebrow before motioning expectantly toward the audience. They whooped and hollered encouragements, and Eren steeled himself. He wasn't the newbie, blushing virgin anymore…he had to make this good.

So he moved his hips to the back-beat, ignoring the fast rhythm of the song in favor of its slower undercurrent of bass, and stripped. He took his time with it, making them work for it just like Levi had taught him. He closed his eyes when he could afford to, imagining he wasn't stripping for an audience of screaming women. He wanted to picture himself alone, but every time, his mind reminded him of Levi. So he pretended just to strip for him.

He managed not to fumble too long with his boots, shaking his hips a little bit more before pulling away his pants and listening to the women scream for it as he tossed them aside. He danced a little more for them, but when he turned, Levi looked utterly uninterested. He stood, grabbing Eren by his dog-tags and fake-tossing him off to one side of the stage. He took his chair to the center of the platform and with nothing but his body, silently told the audience that he would show them how it was done.

And he certainly did, dancing on and around that chair to the point that Eren was jealous of it, tossing away his riding crop, pulling off his perfectly starched pants and jacket, sliding out of his knee-length boots so gracefully that Eren took a mental note to ask Levi to teach him how to do that. He gave the chair the kind of lap-dance he consistently denied his customers, and they were mesmerized, screaming for him as he ended the song after grinding on the chair in a perfect pose with his back arched just right. And what he'd said was completely true: he displayed his body like a work of art, but one that was behind a glass case with a strict rule not to touch.

It was very, very frustrating, and as Eren trudged off the stage, he wondered if he had a moment to take another quick, cold shower before his next set.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

...

Despite the warm-up, Eren was still nervous during his first solo set. The crowd loved him, though, and just watching all that money flying at him was enough to assure him that yes, taking his clothes off in front of a crowd of raging hormones was entirely worth it.

He was a lot more relaxed when he sat with the others that evening and they toasted a congratulations for his first official night dancing. Levi even had a beer with them, which was apparently pretty rare, since Connie looked surprised when he asked for one. Erwin laid out a schedule for Eren which included his hours at Maria's and some blocks beforehand for rehearsal, since he'd need to learn the group routines and put together some of his own. He assured him that the group dances were very simple and the guys would help him put together his own skits if he needed it. It was a little weird just how much like a family this place operated, despite the content. Everyone seemed to be there for everyone else, and it was comforting.

Eren headed home that night in a great mood and with a huge wad of cash. He figured he'd have to start paying all his bills with money orders, now. He had already showered after the show at the club so he just headed to bed, getting a bit of sleep before Armin would undoubtedly wake him.

It was indeed Armin who woke him, practically bouncing on Eren's bed because he was so excited to go to the dog park. Eren made breakfast and they headed out. Bean was thrilled to be in the car, sticking his head out of the window behind Armin and letting his ears flap in the breeze.

Eren honestly couldn't remember the last time he'd been able to have this much fun with Armin. They tossed the frisbee around at the park and then went to a cafe with a dog-friendly patio. Eren tied Bean's leash to the table so they could eat, tossing him small scraps as they did so. He sat between the brothers, making sure to look extra cute to earn more treats.

They were just about to order a dessert to share when Eren heard a familiar voice cut through the chatter around them. "Eren! Fancy seeing you here!"

Eren felt his blood freeze as he turned to see Erwin standing before him, Levi on his left. They actually looked oddly normal wearing regular clothes; jeans and a polo for Erwin, jeans and a faded band tee for Levi.

"Oh...yeah, um, hi." Eren stammered, looking between them and Armin, who was staring up at them curiously. "Armin, uh, this is my boss, Erwin, and my co-worker, Levi. We work together at the restaurant."

He made sure to emphasize the last word, giving them a pleading look. He wasn't sure if they'd heard him the other night when he said he wanted to keep the stripping a secret from Armin.

"Ah, yes...this must be the notorious younger brother." Erwin replied, giving a small nod that he got the hint. "Nice to meet you. Eren speaks very highly of you." Well, that was a lie. Eren had hardly mentioned him. "Say, Levi's very fond of the crème brûlée here, we were going to stop in for dessert. Mind if we join you?"

Eren blinked at them, glancing at Levi, who was looking at Armin interestedly. "Um...sure, yeah, we can...uh…pull some tables together or something."

"Great!" Erwin moved a table over and sat down near Armin, leaving Levi to sit across from him next to Eren.

"You have a dog." Levi commented, flatly not a question. He held his hand out, allowing the dog I sniff and lick him curiously.

Eren flinched, remembering Levi's thing about cleanliness. "Yeah...sorry, this is Bean. He's friendly as long as we aren't in danger..."

He made to tug at his collar to pull him away, but Levi snatched his wrist, pulling it away. "It's fine. Did you know dogs' mouths are statistically cleaner than a human's?"

Eren blinked at him, pulling his hand back. "Uh...no. I didn't."

"Well I did. You should read more, Eren." Armin piped up.

Eren huffed. "Oh sure. I'll get right on that in all the free time I have. Twerp." He leaned over to ruffle Armin's hair, and he swatted his hands away with a laugh.

Erwin watched them fondly. "Did you learn that in school, Armin? What grade are you in?"

"Oh, no...I was reading a training book I picked up from the library. I wanted to teach Bean a few things. But I'm in eighth grade." Armin answered.

Erwin nodded, considering this. "Hm, so what does that make you...fourteen?"

"I'll be fifteen in a couple weeks." Armin verified.

The waitress came over and confirmed the table situation before taking their dessert order. Eren got some brownie and ice cream dish he and Armin could share, Erwin got himself a slice of pie and Levi asked for his crème brûlée. They chatted for a little while before the food came out, Erwin mostly asking Armin about school and what he liked to do for fun. It was a little weird to Eren, since the guy had only been his boss for all of two days, but he didn't ask anything suspicious, so he let it go.

Finally, Armin turned to Levi with a small huff. "I'm adopted."

Levi blinked at him, as did Erwin. Eren gave him a strange look. "Uh...Armin?"

"He kept looking between you and me with this squinty look on his face." The boy explained.

Levi nodded, looking impressed. "I was trying to see the resemblance. Now I understand why there isn't one."

"Adopted, huh?" Erwin asked interestedly.

"Yeah...the Jaegers took me in as a foster child when I was eight. Eren and I got along so well that they adopted me." Armin explained.

"And...your parents now?" Erwin asked hesitantly.

Armin frowned. "They died in a house fire when I was 11."

"I'm so sorry to hear that." Erwin said genuinely, turning to Eren. "So you've been taking care of Armin in your own since you were 18?"

Eren nodded. "Only silver lining...since I was 18 and it happened the summer after graduation, CPS said I could take care of Armin as long as I kept a clean record and proved I could provide for him. Thankfully Mr. Pixis gave me a job and I used the insurance money to get us an apartment and replace all our stuff."

"You didn't want to go to college?" Erwin asked.

"He wanted to join the military." Levi said softly, a faraway look in his eyes.

Eren gave a hesitant nod. "I still might...when Armin goes to college."

"I hate that he has to wait because of me, but stupid CPS will put me in another home if Eren goes off to boot camp." Armin grumbled. He appreciated everything his older brother did for him, and that's why he hated that Eren couldn't do what he wanted, all because of him.

"I told you not to worry about it, Armin. Our parents didn't even want me to join. I'm sure they'd appreciate the postponement." Eren replied with a lighthearted chuckle.

"And what do you want to do, Armin?" Erwin turned to the boy.

"I don't know yet. I wanna travel...but I guess doesn't everybody?" He huffed a laugh. "I'll go to college and decide from there. I was thinking of joining the military too, in the communications or science fields."

"Well, you seem like a very smart young man, Armin. I'm sure you'll be the very best at whatever it is you decide to do." Erwin told him.

"You're very lucky to have such a responsible older brother to look after you." Levi added softly, finally glancing at Armin. The boy just smiled, nodding resolutely. Eren watched the exchange curiously, noticing something in Levi's expression he couldn't quite place.

He wouldn't find out what it was until the next week.

It didn't take Eren much time at all to get used to his new schedule. He still made breakfast in the mornings and took Armin to school, then went home and actually had a bit of time to clean the house for once. He took a nap since he hadn't gotten copious amounts of sleep the night before, then got up in time to pick Armin up from school. He brought him back to the apartment and helped him with his homework while he made dinner. After they ate, he headed out for his shift at Maria's, since it was Monday.

On Tuesday, Erwin told him the guys would be rehearsing so he should come in early to go over the tandem routines. Eren was a quick learner and picked it up almost right away, but they had him come in early on Wednesday just to hash everything out. Thankfully, Erwin was cool about him using the showers before his shift at Maria's…and that was going to save him and Armin a lot of money on their water bill, he imagined.

Eren came in Thursday feeling ready to take on the group dances, and he was even working on some things for his individual skits that he wanted to try out. He headed into the back room to get prepped, noticing Levi wasn't in his usual spot on the couch.

"Hey, where's the Corporal today?" Eren joked, earning a laugh from the others.

"Oh, he's out with the boss shopping for more costumes and props. Holiday coming up and I think he wants to do something themed." Reiner answered.

"So what's the deal with Erwin and Levi, anyway?" Eren asked, sitting up on the arm of the couch. "I saw them out together on Sunday...they invited themselves to grab dessert with me and my brother. Then Erwin insisted on paying our tab."

The guys chuckled knowingly, Jean leaning forward. "Erwin's what we like to call a chronic fixer. He likes to fix people...situations...takes in the down-trodden, gets 'em cleaned up and on their feet. That's why he's got such a strict policy on drugs. Most strip-joints don't give a damn...maybe even deal on the side for extra cash…but not Erwin."

"Levi was pretty much his first sob story." Marco added. "None of us knows the whole deal, but from how I hear it, he grew up in a military family, but after his parents died, he got in with a rough crowd. Levi was a heavy hitter in the scene. Said he never killed anyone but put one guy in a coma."

Reiner shook his head. "He might dance now, but he's no one to be screwed with. Erwin found him and got him off the street. That got him on the radar in a bad way, but Levi...well, they know better than to fuck with him, so they just left it alone."

"Erwin's your classic bleeding heart. I think Levi even lived on his couch for a while. He's got his own place now that he can afford it, but that was...what? Almost ten years ago?"

Eren blinked. "Ten...years? Wait...how old is Levi."

Marco looked thoughtfully at Jean. "What is he...32? 34?"

Jean nodded. "Something like that, yeah."

Eren balked. Well, no wonder Levi hardly looked at him. He was literally a kid to him. "Oh. Wow...he's, uh...got a young face."

"Just means I can do the job for longer." Levi's voice cut through the room from the doorway. Every other person in the room turned as white as a sheet. He strode in casually, hanging some new costumes he was carrying on the display rack and setting down a bag of props. "It's rude to discuss people's age while they aren't around, wouldn't you say?"

Well, it seemed like Levi had thankfully only caught the last leg of their conversation. Eren breathed an internal sigh of relief. "Sorry...we were just talking about an upcoming birthday and it happened to come up. My apologies, I should've asked directly."

Levi turned, giving him a curious look before finally replying. "Ah, right. Your brother's birthday is coming up, is it not?"

Eren nodded. "Yeah...I've never had this much extra cash after bills were paid, so I don't know what to do for him."

The guys seemed more than impressed at Eren's ability to dodge that bullet, and watched the conversation interestedly.

"Have you considered taking him to one of the theme parks?" Levi suggested.

"Huh...we haven't been to one since my parents died...that's actually a really good idea." Eren replied. Why hadn't he thought of that?

"Busch Gardens is local...if you'd like, I have an acquaintance who can get you discounted tickets." Levi told him.

Eren grinned. "Wow, that'd be awesome. I might have to take you up on that. I'll ask Armin what he thinks of the idea tomorrow and let you know."

Levi just nodded before leaving the room. The other guys stared at Eren for a long while, blinking at him.

"What?" Eren asked, confused.

"Nothing, just..." Jean looked at the door where Levi had disappeared. "I've never known Levi to be that nice. Ever. And I've known the guy for a couple years now."

Marco and Reiner nodded in agreement.

Eren shrugged. "Well, he met my brother over the weekend. Maybe he has a soft spot for kids or something,"

The others looked doubtful, and it had Eren wondering.

It turned out that Armin was more than into the idea of going to Busch Gardens, and hugged Eren so tightly when he mentioned it that he couldn't breathe for a few seconds. He promised to take him the Sunday before his birthday (which was actually that coming Monday), and offered to try to get Monday off as well. Armin told him not to worry about it because he had a big exam that day so he couldn't get out of school anyway. Eren pitied his brother's luck, but go figure, the kid was actually looking forward to the test. Damn weird if you asked Eren, but man, was he proud.

When Eren came into work on Friday, he headed for the back room, but didn't see Levi there. The guys told him he was in the gym, so he made his way there. When he got to the room, he noticed that a pole had been installed in the center of the mat. Levi had a leg up in a rather obscene position as he stretched.

"Er…the pole's new in here." Eren commented.

Levi brought his leg back down, shaking his head. "It's removable, we just keep it in storage. I'm working on a new routine."

Eren eyed the pole curiously, noting it did indeed have very wide plates on both the top and bottom and it basically extended into place like a really stable curtain rod. "Huh…neat."

"Ever dance on a pole before?" Levi asked.

Eren shook his head. "Can't say that I have. Seems like you're the only one who does around here."

Levi nodded. "Marco's the only one with an iota of grace, and he doesn't quite have the flexibility for it."

Eren snorted. "Hey now, that's not very nice."

Levi raised an eyebrow at him. "But it's true."

Eren had to concede to that. "Yeah, okay, but it's still mean." He chuckled. "Oh, before I forget…Armin was really into the idea of going to Busch Gardens, so we were going to do it on Sunday. I think Mikasa wanted to come, too."

"All right. We're all off that day…I can meet you in the park and introduce you to my friend. She'll get you that discount at the door. It's only fifteen percent off if you order ahead online, but if I ask her in person, she can give you thirty percent off." Levi explained.

"Oh, that's awesome…I didn't want you to have to drive out just for that, though…"

Levi waved him off. "I live right around the corner from the park; I can walk, and it's no trouble at all."

Eren gave him a look. "You sure? I didn't want to put you out or anything."

"It's fine. I have nothing planned Sunday as it is." Levi gave Eren a sweeping glance. "So, are you going to try the pole, since I've got it out?"

Eren really couldn't refuse him.

...

Review?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

...

Eren was actually decent on the pole, and Levi watched him with interest before announcing that he'd work on a routine with him and train him privately. Eren was a little shocked, but readily agreed, because it seemed like a pretty big compliment for Levi to want to train him personally. He told him they'd start next week and to just focus on getting some individual routines hammered out first before they worked on the pole.

Eren got through the next two days a lot easier now that he was getting used to both the schedule and the jobs. He quickly learned that dancing too far forward on the front platform got him groped, and he understood then why Levi stayed closer to the main part of the stage. Still, it also got him a lot more tips, so some nights he just dealt with it and let those grabby women shove singles into his speedo. What the hell did he care?

He also learned that every third Friday of the month was "Pride Day", when they only let guys through the door, at a discounted rate. Eren actually liked it because guys tipped a lot better for some reason. In the process, he learned that all the dancers were either gay, bi or pan, save for Jean...he was straight (and had an on-again, off-again thing with one of the waitresses, Sasha, go figure), but he was completely cool dancing for guys, too. Eren had to admire his ability to separate the job from his personal life.

By Sunday, Armin was bouncing with excitement about the trip. He woke Eren up far too early, but he was too happy to see him that joyful to possibly turn him down, so he made them breakfast and drove over to Mikasa's to pick her up. She greeted them with a bright smile and a large wrapped gift, which Armin tore into in the backseat while Mikasa sat up front and Eren drove them to the park. (She had gotten him a set of books on world travel and he thanked her profusely the whole way there.)

Eren was about to pull into the parking lot queue when he spotted Levi on the sidewalk. When he saw the car, he flagged him down, and Eren pulled up next to him, rolling down Mikasa's window.

"Going our way?" He teased.

Levi gave him a dubious look, leaning down to the window. "Wanted to catch you before you paid for parking. Got a pass that'll get you into the lot for free."

"Sweet, hop in." Eren told him.

Armin scooted over and put his box of books on the floor, making room as Levi climbed in behind Mikasa and sat down. Once the door closed, Eren pulled into the lot. Levi flashed some kind of card (probably an annual pass) and the employee waved them through.

Interacting with Levi outside of work was strange without Erwin around. It was like neither of them knew what to say. They hardly spoke as they boarded the tram that took them to the park entrance. Levi led them around the crowds to guest services, and the girl behind one of the counters instantly perked up at seeing him.

And then he watched Levi actually flirt with her.

Usually Levi was fairly emotionless, even when dancing, but now he was leaning on the counter and smirking coyly, sweet-talking them into some really nice discounts. Eren wondered if he actually liked her, or if he really was just doing it for the tickets.

A few minutes of listening to her giggle profusely and soon Levi was motioning for Eren to join him at the counter. The girl raised an interested eyebrow at him as well, and Eren blushed and stammered through the whole process of buying the tickets. Levi tacked on the dining plan, paying for that himself.

As he and Eren left the kiosk to meet Armin and Mikasa outside, Levi offered a small wave to the girl who was still smiling and waving enthusiastically.

"You didn't have to do that." Eren said.

"Do what?" Armin asked curiously.

"Levi got us the dining package thing too so we can snacks and stuff during the day." Eren explained.

"Really?" Armin looked at Levi, more than a little surprised.

"Consider it my birthday gift to you, Armin." Levi said simply.

The boy raised an eyebrow at him. "I've met you like, once."

Levi chuckled. "Well, I feel like I know you through your brother."

Eren just blinked at him. He couldn't even remember having seen Levi actually laugh before.

Armin considered what he'd said for a moment before nodded. "Well okay, then. Hey, if your friend is so good at getting discounts for you and stuff, why don't you join us?"

"I couldn't impose." Levi replied, waving him off.

"No, really! I mean you came all the way out here, got us the tickets really cheap, got us free parking and a dining plan…I'd feel really bad if you didn't hang out for a little while!" Armin insisted.

Eren was surprised at the offer, but would have been lying if he said he didn't want Levi to take him up on it.

After a moment of consideration, Levi nodded. "All right. If you're certain I'm not intruding." He looked to Eren for clarification.

The younger man smiled, giving him a resolute nod. "Yeah, definitely."

Levi seemed satisfied, even if the look on Mikasa's face was less than thrilled. "Very well. We should head inside before the lines get any longer."

They managed to get in pretty quickly since no one was carrying any bags, and Eren told Armin he was in charge and to lead the way. He excitedly led them around, first to look at all the cool animal enclosures before dragging them all onto some roller coasters. Eren had a hysterical laughing fit when he saw their group photo on Kumba...Armin and Eren looked animated and excited, but both Mikasa and Levi had completely blank expressions. Eren laughed so hard it had Armin giggling right along, and Mikasa blushed furiously while Levi just smirked, rolling his eyes.

"I'm glad our indifference amuses you." Levi commented dryly as Eren snapped a picture of the screen for his Facebook.

"It was an awesome ride, how could you look so unaffected?" Eren teased once he'd gotten a hold of himself. Armin was a little ways off getting a picture with his own phone while Mikasa tried to convince him not to.

"It would take a better ride than that to impress me." Levi quipped back, no implication in his tone. Regardless, Eren couldn't resist.

He smirked, speaking close enough to the other man's ear that the others wouldn't hear him. "Challenge accepted."

The look on Levi's face was priceless.

Mikasa made it a point to look more excited on future roller coasters, but Levi didn't bother. He did have to admit, although only internally, he was having a good time. Watching Eren and Armin interact gave him a completely different perspective on Eren, and seeing Mikasa let loose and have a little fun was a change, too. He'd actually laughed quite a lot when they were feeding the giraffes and one decided Eren's hair looked delicious and took a big lick. The others kind of stared at Levi in shock just hearing him laugh that much, but it was honestly hilarious watching Eren take a good ten minutes to wipe the giraffe slobber out of his hair at a water fountain and trying to tame it back down.

After that fiasco, Eren decided he was the one who wanted a snack now, so he left Armin and Levi at a shaded bench to take Mikasa to go get them something to munch on. Armin, like Levi, was rather fair-skinned and Eren didn't want him standing in the concession line with the sun beating down on them.

They sat there for a while, quietly watching the elephants interact in the enclosure across from them, before Armin spoke.

"Hey, um…Levi?" He piped up hesistantly.

"Yeah, brat?"

Armin blinked at him. "Well that was uncalled for."

Levi snorted. "Everyone under twenty-five is a brat to me. What is it?"

Armin made a face. "I just…" He sighed, looking around as if to make sure Eren really wasn't around. "Eren said you're his co-worker, right?"

Levi nodded. "That's right."

Armin was squirming, like it was taking him a lot of nerve to ask. "So you…you're a stripper, too?"

And now he knew why. Levi cocked his head, looking at him curiously. "Did Eren say he was?"

Armin scoffed. "No, I just…I was curious, okay? Eren's suddenly making a lot more money, and even if it's at a swanky place like Maria's, there's no way he's making that much bartending. I looked up your boss on the internet…it said he owns Maria's, but also this place called Club Tryst. And it didn't take a lot of research to find clips on YouTube. Mostly of you. There were some of Eren, too. I couldn't bring myself to watch them all the way through."

Levi frowned. "He didn't want you to know."

"I figured. But, please, just tell me…is he miserable? I don't want him suffering through some job that makes him feel cheap or uncomfortable. He's just been so happy lately, and I figured it was because of the money…I didn't want to talk to him about it because I know he'd just deny it, even if he were secretly unhappy." Armin looked up at him with pleading eyes. "So please, you gotta tell me…is he really a wreck? Is he just hiding it from me?"

Levi offered him a small smile, shaking his head. "Your brother is very good at what he does. He comes off the stage laughing and smiling most nights. If he's secretly miserable, he's doing a very good job of hiding it from all of us."

Armin sighed, nodding. "Okay…I mean, as long as he's happy…I just don't want him thinking he has to do things he doesn't want or doesn't like for my sake."

Levi paused for a moment before answering. "I think your brother would grin and bear it, if he weren't happy, yes...because he seems like that kind of person. I bet he would do anything for you, but I don't think he could hide his shame very well if he really despised the job. I believe he does like the job, or at the very least, he doesn't hate it."

Armin considered that, giving him another nod. "All right. But you'd tell me, if you thought he was miserable?"

"Yes." Levi placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, leaning a little closer. "You're very lucky, Armin. If I'd had an older brother like Eren looking after me when I was your age, I'd have turned out a lot better of a person."

Armin gave him a strange look. "You seem okay. I mean, except for the stripping." He looked mortified for a second. "N-not that it's bad, I mean, it's just…not your…typical nine-to-five, I guess."

Levi chuckled. "That it's not. But it does pay very well and it's all legal. Been doing it for almost ten years and I'm not on any drugs or a drinker. So, we can't be all bad, huh?" He smirked.

Armin nodded. "Okay, well…can you promise me something?"

"I can try."

"Look out for Eren? He's so busy looking out for me, he forgets to let anyone think about him. Can you do that for me?" Armin asked, eyes pleading again.

Levi smiled, moving to ruffle Armin's hair like he'd seen Eren so often do. Now he understood why he couldn't resist. "You're all right, brat. And yeah. I'll look out for him. You have my word."

Armin huffed, fixing his hair for about the tenth time that day, but he couldn't help but smile back. "Thanks."

"Guess what I've got!" Eren shouted suddenly from nearby. He and Mikasa were carrying back buckets of popcorn and cotton candy, handing some of them over. Mikasa gave Eren a bucket adorned with several African animals and Eren handed Levi a massive ball of cotton candy on a stick and a large drink.

"Ooh, snackage!" Armin piped up excitedly.

"Best eaten during the show…which I found out is starting soon, so we should move it." Eren told them. Levi and Armin stood, following the others to the outdoor stage where the performance was going to take place. Levi couldn't remember the last time he saw a show that didn't involve taking off one's clothes.

Mikasa sat first, followed by Armin, then Eren. Levi plopped down in his seat and tossed his arm over the back of the chair without even thinking. He was so accustomed to sitting alone that it didn't even occur to him. But Eren didn't seem to mind, merely glancing over, more than a little perplexed, before smiling and actually leaning into the touch. Crap.

Well, the boundaries had to be pretty much worn down by now if they'd both seen each other dancing suggestively in thongs, right?

Levi groaned internally. He was pretty sure this was not what Armin had in mind when he'd said 'look out for my brother'. In fact, he could write a damn dissertation on why it was a bad idea. He could include a PowerPoint, it was that obvious.

What he couldn't stomach, however, was the look of disappointment on Eren's face when Levi subtly removed his arm halfway through the show.

Shit.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

...

Going to Busch Gardens had been the best decision of his life, Eren had decided once they'd got home. Armin was singing his praises all through dinner, and it had been nice to hang out with Mikasa again. Plus, seeing Levi outside of work gave him a whole new perspective on the man, and it was clear he wasn't always the apathetic, brooding guy he seemed to be when he danced, or even when he was just in the club itself. During the week, he'd occasionally see Levi drop by Maria's to talk to Erwin while Eren was bartending, and over the next month, he (along with the other guys) helped him perfect some routines. Working on the pole with Levi instructing was difficult…mostly because Levi's demonstrations were immensely distracting and the guy pushed him hard to do better and better. Eren had fallen on his face a few times, but Levi always seemed at least mildly impressed when he just got back up and asked to go again. Eren may not have been gifted with remarkable natural talent, but he sure made up for it in determination.

It had been about a month since he'd been hired…Connie had left for school, Annie taking his place at the bar for the club while Eren did so at Maria's Monday through Wednesday. They'd hired a new waitress, Krista, and she seemed very nice, if a little overwhelmed by the male dancers. She got used to it, though, as did everyone, it seemed.

It was a Thursday when Erwin came into the gym looking for him. Eren and Levi were practicing the pole routine…or rather, Levi was leaning back on the mirror with his arms crossed barking orders at Eren while he suffered on the pole.

"Quit being lazy, you shitty brat. Do it again." Levi quipped, no actual malice in his tone. He glanced at his boss but when he saw he was looking at the other man, he knew he hadn't come for him.

"Levi, could I have a moment to speak with Eren?" The taller man asked, cocking his head to watch Eren slide down the pole upside-down with a frustrated grunt when his head tapped the mat.

"Of course." Levi replied, saying nothing more before simply walking out of the room. Eren watched him go before climbing to his feet.

"What's up, Erwin?"

"I was just wondering, Eren...have you put any thought into doing private dances?" Erwin asked once Levi had vacated the room.

Eren's lips pressed together as he hummed thoughtfully. He could make a lot more money that way, yeah…but he found himself, whether on purpose or not, trying to emulate Levi in the way that he performed. Since Levi didn't do private dances, he hadn't really considered it before. Granted, he took inspirations from things Jean, Marco and Reiner taught him as well, but Levi had been the one truly molding him into the kind of dancer he was becoming.

"I, uh…guess I hadn't thought about it." Eren replied after a long moment, scratching the back of his head nervously. "I mean, I was so focused on getting the routines, I hadn't considered the private dances…"

Erwin offered an understanding smile. "There's no pressure, Eren. I only wanted to ask because you've been getting more and more requests, and I think you're ready…but only if you feel prepared."

Eren perked up at that. "I've been getting requests?"

"Nightly. You're very popular." Erwin told him with a hint of a tease in his tone. "I just figured I would throw the idea out for you."

"Yeah." Eren responded, probably a little too quickly. "I mean, yes. Sure. You can start me today."

Erwin frowned. "You don't have to rush into it, I was—"

"No, really…it's fine. Great, even. Private dances are good for business." Eren elaborated. "Start me tonight."

Erwin studied him a moment before shrugging. "All right. I'll book you a few tonight. Just don't overdo it."

Eren nodded. "No, it's cool, I'll be fine. I can handle it."

Eren wasn't sure he could handle this.

He sat down for a long and boring briefing with Erwin and their bouncer, Thomas, basically going over the rules and the process and Eren was sure if he heard 'they are not allowed to touch you' one more time, he was going to punch something.

Thursday night wasn't bad. Most of the women who asked for private dances were either immensely drunk by the time they got in that room, or extremely nervous virgins whose friends had forced it on them. The drunk ones got handsy, sure, but they got a talking-to from Thomas before every dance and usually one word from Eren was enough to get them to lay off.

The harder part was dealing with the guys.

That Friday was Pride Night, which meant only guys in the house all night. Now Eren understood why Erwin hesitated to let him start private dances right away.

Dancing for guys behind closed doors could totally suck.

His first client wasn't too bad. Some rich ad exec who sat back with his hands behind his head like he owned the world while Eren danced for him. He had a few who were really, really drunk, and one guy who was painfully straight and had been dragged along by two gay friends and forced into the room. Nothing, however, could have prepared him for his last client.

He was drunk, but not to the point of incoherence. Per Thomas, he'd requested to be Eren's last dance, which was usually a red flag. But Thomas said he went through the rules with the guy and he'd agreed, so they went ahead with it. That was probably the first mistake.

As soon as the guy walked in, he peeled off his jacket and hung it on the coat rack by the door. When he went for his shirt, Eren stopped him.

"You'll be keeping your clothes on." He said, stern, but flirty. He'd perfected the tone over the last two nights with some tips from Marco.

"Oh, so you gonna ride my cock while I'm dressed, huh? Kinky." The guy smirked, flopping back into the plush loveseat meant for the client.

Eren's jaw clenched as he controlled his next response. "No…but we can pretend. This is a strip club, not a whorehouse."

His tone was just coy enough that the guy didn't get immediately pissed off. "Well, I know you can't advertise it…but we all know what a 'private dance' really means."

Eren sighed. Thomas and Erwin warned him this happened all the time. "I'm sorry, but it really does mean 'private dance' here."

The guy raised an eyebrow at him, leveling a blank stare. After a moment of searching Eren's face, he seemed to concede. "All right. Why don't you show me what you are allowed to do?"

Eren was more than relieved, and did exactly as asked. The man hadn't asked for a specific theme for his dance, so he was just wearing casual clothes. He started up the iPod and began his dance, taking a little longer to smooth out his movements and get into the zone since the guy had kind of thrown him off with his comments.

It took him a while to work up to the actual lap-dance, and although the guy was watching him hungrily, his fingers were tapping impatiently on the arm of the leather loveseat. He still hadn't even taken his shirt off, yet. When Eren rested his knees on either side of his lap and straddled him, the guy's hands immediately latched to his hips.

Eren stiffened, mostly in annoyance, but looked down with a chiding glance. "Hands off. There are rules."

The guy huffed. "You still on about that? What, do I gotta pay extra? I thought that's what I already did."

Eren grabbed the guy's hands at that point, trying to wrench them off. "This is a dance. Nothing else."

The guy didn't budge, though, fingers digging into Eren's flesh painfully. "That's not what I paid for." He snarled, pivoting and lunging until Eren was pinned under him on the opposite side of the small couch. His right knee came between Eren's legs while the other framed his hip, keeping him from rolling off.

Eren took a sharp breath, opening his mouth to call security, but the guy shoved his forearm in between his teeth, pushing hard to keep his jaw open. Eren couldn't let out much more than a muffled grunt at that point, and he thrashed as the guy clawed at his shirt, tearing it to shreds and ripping away his stage pants. That left him in just the spandex shorts he usually danced in, and he suddenly felt extremely vulnerable, flinching at the sting of the guy's nails as they scraped over his chest.

He panicked, hands coming up to try to hit him, shove him away...anything just to get him off. He bit down hard on the guy's arm, and he yelped in pain, but he still didn't move it away as blood pooled around Eren's lips from the bite. His other hand came up to subdue Eren's arms, pinning them above his head.

"Ooh, you're a fighter." He growled, flinching when Eren's teeth dug in again. "Relax, baby...this is what I paid you for."

Eren thrashed, finally getting enough of an opening to bring his knees up and shove. He gasped in a much-needed breath as the guy went sprawling onto his back on the floor and Eren scrambled to his feet, bolting to the door. He had just gotten a grip on the handle when he felt the guy slam his whole body against his back, pinning him to the door. All the air left his lungs in what was barely a shout, and he pounded on the wood a few times before the guy managed to pin his arms again. With as loud as the stage music and cheering was out there, it would be a miracle if Thomas or anyone else had heard it.

"It's not cute anymore." The guy bit, shoving Eren's cheek hard against the door.

The door shoved back, and Eren could hear muffled shouting from outside. It looked like Thomas had heard him after all. He gathered his strength and pushed back against the guy, and the next time Thomas shoved on the other side of the door, it gave way. Eren slipped out of the door, nearly knocking Thomas over in his haste as the guy regained his balance and tried to pursue. Thomas grabbed him and threw him from the room, the guy slamming into the hallway wall with a loud thud.

Eren stumbled out of the room, nearly falling on his face in his rush to just get away. He scrambled to his feet and bolted to the back room, past Thomas and the other rooms where he knew Reiner and Marco had their own private dances. He barely registered that it was Jean on stage as he ran past, bursting through the door into the back room so loudly it actually startled Levi from the couch into a standing position.

He watched as Eren dug through his locker, searching for his clothes. He looked terrified, red marks all along his chest and blood on his lips, trailing down his chin.

"Eren, what happened, what's wrong?" The ferocity of the concern in Levi's voice would have been surprising if Eren had had the presence of mind to pick up on it.

"I need to just…I'm done…done for the night…can I go?" He stammered, pulling his clothes on so quickly that he nearly tripped on his own pants several times.

"Yes. Yes. Erwin won't make you dance the last number in this state, but you have to tell me what happened." Levi reasoned.

Eren was shaking like a leaf, wringing his t-shirt in his hands so tightly that his knuckles were white. "I don't want to…can I just…please?"

"Eren, are you all right?" Erwin said suddenly as he came into the back room. "Thomas told me what happened. I had him remove the customer and we've put him on the blacklist."

Eren nodded slowly, processing that for a moment. "He's gone, then?"

Erwin returned his nod. "Yes, he's gone."

Eren let out a shuddering breath, pulling on his shirt but not speaking yet. Levi rounded on Erwin, looking livid.

"What. Happened?" He hissed.

Erwin blinked at him, a little surprised by his response, but answered regardless. "Eren's last private dance got out of hand. His client was drunk and belligerent and insisted on services we don't provide. Eren left the room, the man pursued but Thomas removed him."

Levi's eyes narrowed. "Wasn't he screened beforehand?"

"Of course he was, Levi…but you know we can't always predict these things." Erwin responded, sighing. "He wasn't extremely drunk, or didn't appear to be, and he wasn't out of hand until after he got into the room with Eren."

"Can we just…stop…talking about it?" Eren snapped at them once he'd gotten his shirt on (it was inside out, but neither man had it in him to tell the boy).

Erwin nodded sympathetically. "No group for the final act. Levi will take the last dance tonight."

"The hell I will. Eren can't drive in the state he's in. Let Marco or Reiner take the last dance, I need to get Eren home." Levi bit back.

Erwin was definitely confused now. "Levi, are you—" The deadly look he received cut him short of what he was going to say. "All right, all right…get Eren home. I'll tell Marco to get back out there after his private dance."

Erwin turned and left the room, leaving Eren alone with Levi. The older man turned to the younger, closing the distance between them to look him over. He didn't appear to have any other visible marks, but he swore he'd seen scratches on him before he'd put on his shirt. Not to mention the blood smearing over his lips as Eren wiped them on his forearm.

"Eren…" He tried, craning his head in an attempt to get the boy to look at him.

His eyes were trained on the far wall, a distant look in them. "I can still feel him…feel his hands on me…feel dirty…"

Levi gave him a piteous look, very gently laying a hand on Eren's arm. The boy flinched and finally met his eyes, but didn't move away. "Come on…come take a shower and then I'll take you home."

Eren nodded slowly, following Levi back to the showers. It seemed like a waste, pulling off the clothes he'd just put on, but he did feel dirty and knew it would help. Levi climbed into the stall directly next to his after stripping, figuring now that he didn't have a group number to worry about, he definitely needed a shower himself. The wall between the stalls was only waist-height, so he glanced at Eren occasionally to make sure he was doing okay. The boy was washing himself a bit mechanically, but he more or less just looked like he needed something else to focus on to keep him from having a breakdown again.

When they'd finished, they stepped out and dried off, Levi pulling on clean clothes while Eren put his back on, actually right-side-out this time. Levi gave him an appraising look as he pulled the strap of his duffel over his shoulder.

"Eren…?"

The boy nodded in acknowledgement of the unasked question. "I'm okay, I just…can I go home?"

Levi gave him a nod in return. "Of course. Let's go."

Eren was quick to leave the building, skirting around the crowd and avoiding Thomas and the waitresses, but Mikasa especially, who was thankfully too busy talking to a customer to notice him leave. Levi kept up easily, watching him carefully. He hated that he hadn't been there...he made a promise to Armin and he was doing a shit job at keeping it.

The humidity of the Floridian night smacked them in the face the moment they got out of the building, and Levi followed after Eren as the boy practically bolted around the building to the employee lot. He was going to make a comment about Eren not knowing which car was his when he heard him yelp and hastened to get around the corner.

It was the same guy from before, judging from the fear in Eren's eyes, who'd grabbed him by the shirt and shoved him into the concrete wall.

"I wasn't done with you." He snarled, but he didn't get any further when he was suddenly yanked away and a fist promptly collided with his face.

Eren leaned against the wall, wide-eyed and panting as he watched Levi dodge a strike and hit him again, hard. It was mostly a blur, but he saw Levi take a single hit to the jaw, barely even stumbling. He was ready for the next attack, grabbing the other man's fist on his next swing and twisting it around with a sickening crack. The guy yelped, falling to a knee, where his face met with Levi's foot. He sprawled out on the ground where Levi kicked him again, then again before grabbing him and hauling him up by his shirt. He punched him repeatedly, holding him in place as he wailed on the guy until his face was bloody and swollen.

"Levi!" Eren cried, finally pulling himself off the wall. He put a hand on Levi's arm, tugging him away. "Stop, you'll kill him."

Levi's head snapped to Eren, and his expression was livid. He looked deadly...like killing him had literally been his intention. The distraction was enough for the guy to pull away and hobble off pathetically, limping as he rounded the corner out of sight. Levi made to follow, but Eren gripped him harder.

"No, let him go. He's on the blacklist, it's not like he can get back in."

That did nothing to quell Levi's anger. "He tried to rape you!"

Eren flinched. "And you nearly killed him...I think we're even."

"I promised Armin I would look out for you and look what happened!" Levi snarled, fists clenched at his sides.

"Armin...? What? Armin thinks I'm a bartender, why would he—?"

"He knows you're a stripper!" Levi bit back. After a moment, he sighed, letting the anger bleed out of him as his shoulders sagged. "He didn't want you to know that he knows. He accepts your job, he just wanted me to protect you. And look what fucking happens."

All of the color drained from Eren's face. "Armin knows? He knows?"

"Yes...I'm sorry, Eren." Levi straightened up, steeling himself. "We should get you back inside, tell Erwin what happened."

"No, I don't—I've caused enough trouble tonight. Just…let's get out of here." Eren insisted, eyes pleading.

Levi felt a stab of pain go through his chest. Eren thinking any of this was his fault was physically painful to hear. He led the boy to his car, opening the passenger door for him and closing it behind him before climbing in himself. It was a simple silver coupe, nothing flashy, but definitely not a clunker either.

He started the car and looked to Eren. He seemed to be deep in thought, teeth worrying at his lip.

"I don't know where your house is." Levi said plainly, all the anger gone from his tone now.

Eren was still catching his breath, fists clenched tightly in his lap. "I can't…if Armin saw me like this…"

Levi felt a sickening twist in his gut. He felt like he'd failed the boy by not being able to protect Eren from all this happening to him.

Finally, he started the car and pulled out of the lot. "I'm taking you to my place. You can go back and see Armin whenever you're ready, okay?"

Eren's head whipped to Levi. "But if I'm not home, Armin'll worry!"

"He's not gonna be up until what, ten? Nine? Kid probably likes to sleep in on the weekends, right?" Levi reasoned.

Eren frowned. "Well yeah, but—"

"Then I will get you home before he can start to worry." Levi assured him.

Eren nodded pathetically. "Okay…okay."

Levi kept his eyes on the road, expression hard. He gripped his steering wheel like a vice, and the silence between them was so deafening that he actually flinched when Eren spoke again.

"L-Levi?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." Eren breathed, hands finally releasing out of the fists he'd been balling them into.

The man's eyes softened, but he was still frowning. "Of course, Eren."

"No, really. Thank you. Not just for kicking that guy's ass, or taking me home. You don't owe us anything, but you still made Armin that promise." Eren told him, his voice soft, but building momentum as he spoke.

Levi shook his head. "I didn't keep it. I shouldn't have let Erwin talk you into private dances."

Eren scoffed. "Levi, you couldn't possibly have prevented that. I'm really stubborn."

Levi just frowned, not speaking again for the rest of the trip. A little while later, he pulled into a nice, gated apartment complex in the downtown area, pulling right up into his driveway, which attached to a garage. Eren seemed to have the presence of mind to open his own door, so Levi led the way to his first-floor apartment, unlocking the door only to lock it immediately behind Eren.

The younger man looked around, taking in the space. It was bright and white and sparkling clean, tile floors and leather furniture for easy washing, he assumed. There was hardly anything personal in it, save for massive bookshelves that lined most of the walls, and even his entertainment stand held more books than DVDs or anything of that sort.

Levi flicked on the lights, and it was almost blindingly bright, sterile even. He looked to the man, but his train of thought was derailed and he let out an audible gasp.

Dark parking lot, dark car…he hadn't been able to see the aftermath of the fight until Levi switched on the lights of his apartment.

"Shit, Levi…" Eren breathed. The man's lip was bleeding, his knuckles were red and there was a definite bruise forming on his jaw, incredibly obvious on his pale skin. His knuckles looked the worst, though, and the younger man closed the distance between them to take Levi's right hand into both of his own. "Your hands!"

Levi snorted, amused. "Huh…guess it's been a while since I beat the shit out of someone."

Eren frowned at him, glancing down at the broken and bloody flesh. There were bits of gravel in the wounds. "We need to clean these and wrap them up or you'll get an infection."

Levi rolled his eyes. "Not my first rodeo, brat." He gently took back his hand, going to the kitchen sink and rinsing them under cold water. He hissed at the sting of it as he tried to work the bits of dirt out of the skin without rubbing it too much.

"You have a first-aid kit?" Eren asked as he watched.

"Bathroom; down the hall, first door on the left. It's in the bottom cabinet." Levi told him.

Eren practically scrambled off to go get it, coming back a few moments later with the white box and a towel in his hands. Levi was already patting his wounds dry, staining the paper towel pink. "Your house is like a laboratory."

Levi turned to him, tossing out the paper towel. "How do you mean?"

"It's just so…clean. And white. And…it sparkles." Eren explained.

Levi gave a small shrug. "I don't like to live in filth, and I have a lot of free time."

"There's a difference between not liking filth and needing everything to be pre-op sterile." Eren commented, leading Levi back to the couch. He sat and laid the towel out on his lap, resting Levi's hands on it once he sat as well.

Eren opened the kit and worked diligently, getting the rest of the gravel out of the wounds and gingerly peeling off the scraped-away skin before applying the antibiotic ointment.

"You're rather good at this." Levi told him softly, switching from watching his hands to watching to look of concentration and care on Eren's face.

Eren huffed a small laugh, shrugging. "Yeah, well...doctors aren't cheap and little brothers tend to scrape their knees a lot."

Levi breathed an agreeable sound, nodding. "I imagine so. It's a good thing he had you to take care of him. He's very lucky."

Eren continued to work on Levi. He would see the barest of winces in his eyes every so often, but he never moved his hands away. Eren wrapped the older man's knuckles loosely enough with the medical tape to let him keep his range of motion but to the point that the gauze stayed in place over the open cuts.

Eren smoothed his thumb over the edge of the bandage, as if on the pretense of making sure it would stick. "I'm lucky too, you know." He added softly, barely glancing up at Levi.

"You're lucky to have each other." Levi corrected.

"That's not what I meant." Eren said, looking up and actually holding his eyes that time. "If you hadn't been there, Levi...who knows what that guy would've done."

Levi shook his head, jaw clenching. "I still didn't stop him. Not entirely."

"It was a private dance, Levi. You couldn't have been in there with me." Eren chided. "You've still done more for me than anyone has in a long time."

Levi frowned, not entirely convinced. "I made a promise..."

"Jeez, what do I have to do to make you realize it, huh?" Eren quipped.

Levi sighed. "I'm sorry. Thank you for patching me up. How about you?"

Eren shook his head. "Just a few scratches, maybe a bump on the head. I'm okay." Mentally, too. Focusing on bandaging Levi had really helped to get his mind off of it and get a grip on himself. He was still worried about Armin knowing the truth, and he wasn't sure if he'd ever do another private dance again, but for now...he was okay. And grateful as hell that Levi had been there.

Levi nodded slowly. "All right. Are you hungry at all?"

Eren shook his head as he set the first aid kit and towel on the coffee table. He usually waited until breakfast with Armin to eat anything. "Nah...you?"

Levi gave a negative shake of his own head. "No." His stomach was twisted into so many knots that he couldn't eat if he tried regardless.

"Good..." Eren replied quietly, completely pointlessly. He moved then, straddling Levi and leaning down in one fell swoop. The elder man leaned back, turning his head to the side. Eren stopped an inch or so from his cheek. "Levi..."

"You don't owe me anything." Levi said, his eyes trained on the couch, like he was refusing to look at the boy.

"This isn't repayment." Eren assured him.

"Then what is it?" Levi asked, trying not to sound so damn breathless.

"This is me, wanting you. That's it." Eren told him.

"I'm...a lot older than you." Levi answered in a low voice.

"I don't care." Eren replied simply, tugging at the other man's shirt in an attempt to get him to meet his eyes.

It worked; Levi sighed, finally turning to meet his eyes. "You're just experiencing an adrenaline crash after what happened, you don't—"

"Shut the fuck up Levi, I've wanted you since I first fucking saw you." Eren bit back against Levi's ear, carding a hand into his hair and gripping just this side of tightly.

"It's normal for you to be attracted to someone you first saw dancing half-naked on a pole, that doesn't make this a good idea…"

"Jesus Christ, Levi…I dance on a pole half-naked too. Are you out of arguments yet? Because there are better things we could be doing." Eren grumbled.

Levi sighed again, looking up at him and tracing the boy's chin with his thumb. "You're sure?"

Eren leaned down until their lips were almost touching with a steeled, determined look in his eyes as they locked with Levi's. "Fuck. Me."

Levi actually groaned at that, pulling Eren closer until their lips made contact. Eren was pretty sure that noise was the hottest thing he'd ever heard as he kissed him recklessly, tongue flicking along the roof of Levi's mouth. The sound that earned him was just as criminal, and he felt the older man's palms sliding up his sides through his shirt. He instantly needed to be rid of the offending article.

He pulled back just long enough to yank it over his head, amazed at the look on Levi's face. They'd seen each other virtually naked several times…but it was somehow like Levi was looking at him for the first time; like he was finally allowed to look. He spotted the scratches left behind by the creep and gently lowered his mouth to them, kissing gingerly down each reddened line. Eren shivered, arching into the touch with a little whine that shot right through Levi's spine.

"Bedroom." Levi grunted, wrapping his arms around Eren and moving to stand. The younger man got the message and hooked his ankles together behind Levi's back, holding tightly around his neck. When he stood, he showed remarkably little effort carrying Eren through the hall, and he'd been so distracted working his mouth against Levi's neck that he didn't notice they'd arrived until he felt his back hit the mattress. The room was darker, since the lights were still off, but just enough light came in from the hall so they could make out every movement and expression on the other.

Levi leaned back, still standing on one leg while his opposite knee rested on the mattress between Eren's legs. He pulled off his hoodie, then his tank-top, which left him blessedly shirtless when he dipped down to capture Eren's lips again. The heat of skin-on-skin was electric, and fuck, Eren was never going to be able to watch Levi dance again.

For being professional strippers, it still took them a bit of maneuvering to get each other out of their jeans (they were both rather used to rip-away Velcro by now so having to deal with an actual fly was a pain). Once they did, however, they were little more than a tangle of naked limbs sprawled out on Levi's massive bed. Eren had ended up on top somewhere along the way and took the opportunity to pin Levi down and kiss him senseless, sure to be careful of the split in his lip. He soothed his tongue over the cut, tasting the tang of blood and wanting to will it away. He hated that Levi had been hurt because of him, but what he hated most was that Levi was blaming himself. He resolved simply to kiss him and make it better.

That only lasted for another few minutes before Levi rolled them both over, grinding his hips down and creating blindingly-hot friction that took any control Eren had had over the situation and threw it out the window. He arched up, his hips rutting insistently against Levi's. The older man leaned over to his nightstand, fishing around in his drawer for a bit before coming back with a small bottle of lubricant. He leaned down to kiss Eren one more time as he slicked up his first two fingers before gently sliding them along Eren's entrance.

"Is this what you want?" Levi asked, trying to sound like he was teasing, but there was a real question in there.

"Yes, Levi, fuck…" Eren gasped out, rolling his hips down into the sensation.

The older man answered by leaning down to kiss at his collarbone, sucking a possessive mark there before nipping lightly at the flesh. Eren mewled in satisfaction, rocking his hips again until Levi finally conceded, pressing one finger into him. He was actually a little shocked at just how tight he was, taking his time getting just his middle finger in to the second knuckle.

"Jesus, Eren…is this your first time…?" Levi asked, the single digit moving slowly through the slick of lube as he prepped him nice and easy.

"With a guy, yes…" Eren admitted, worrying at his lip as he got used to the feeling of it. Levi was impossibly thorough, taking his time before adding a second and eventually a third finger, probably using more lube than was strictly necessary. He asked him if he was okay at every step of the way, making sure if he wanted to stop, and although Eren appreciated the sentiment, he really just wanted to get down to the fucking.

Levi finally, blessedly, slicked himself up, nudging the head of his cock against Eren's rim. At Eren's annoyed look, there was no further preamble as he pushed in to the hilt in one smooth slide. Eren made a broken noise of relief at that, back arching and breath stuttering as he took in the sensation. It was different, certainly…not necessarily painful but uncomfortable.

Until Levi started to move.

Whatever he'd seen Levi do when he danced, it was nothing compared to this. Being beneath him, knees hooked over Levi's elbows, watching the roll of his hips when he wasn't just pretending, seeing that look on the other man's face just for him…no dance, or no fantasy could possibly even come close. When Levi lifted his arms just so, Eren felt a jolt of pleasure on the next thrust like nothing he'd ever experienced. The sound it ripped out of him must have been telling, because Levi held that position and fucked into him harder, like it was the only thing that mattered.

Eren panted in time with Levi's driving hips, little cries and moans escaping him with every breath. Levi reached between them to wrap a hand around Eren's neglected cock, and the boy yelped so loudly the neighbors couldn't possibly have not heard. Levi started pumping slowly, yet firm, somehow keeping perfect time with the movement of his hips. Eren clawed at the sheets, gripping them so hard his knuckles turned white.

"Levi, I—I'm…" Eren couldn't even form a complete sentence at that point, too lost in the feeling of it.

Levi didn't seem to mind, his pace never erring, even as he leaned down to nip at Eren's ear. "It's okay, Eren…come for me."

It was an order, and his body obeyed, his orgasm punching out of him as if on command. He shot across his own chest with a strangled cry as Levi worked him through it, the other man's hips stuttering only just, not like Eren even noticed through the waves of euphoria and heat spreading through him like wildfire.

Levi finally let go of Eren's leg and his cock, letting the boy's knees catch on his hips as Levi's palms framed Eren's head, using his arms as leverage to hold him up as he struggled to maintain his rhythm. Eren was valiantly trying to rock down into him, meeting him thrust for thrust as he hooked his ankles at the small of Levi's back and squeezed, somehow taking him even deeper.

"Levi, Levi, please…need you to…to come inside me…" And fuck, Levi had never felt himself come undone so thoroughly before, doing exactly as he had been asked. He was growling a litany of the boy's name as he came, but the sound Eren made when he felt Levi fill him was fucking debilitating, and it was all he could do not to collapse right on top of him, sweaty and spent.

He did manage to roll off to one side before collapsing, panting heavily in time with Eren's own ragged breaths. Eventually, the air stilled, and their chests rose and fell in unison with much less desperation. Eren's breath in particular had evened out into a relaxed state, and Levi looked over to see his eyes closed.

"Eren." Levi's voice was insistent. "Eren. Don't fall asleep, we need to shower and change the sheets."

Eren peeked an eye open. "…what?"

"I can't…I can't sleep like this." Levi told him, grabbing the other man's hand and tugging at it petulantly. "Shower. Sheets. Then bed."

Eren groaned. "You have got to be fucking kidding me…I mean, I knew you were a clean-freak, but really…?"

"Now, Eren." Levi growled, pulling a little harder.

With a fair amount of effort, Levi managed to get Eren out of bed and into the shower. It was thankfully spacious enough for two, and after scrubbing them both down, Levi shoved Eren against the back wall, dropped to his knees and gave him the best head of his life. Although Levi tended to be squeamish about blowjobs, he didn't mind as long as they occurred in the shower or directly after a shower, and he simply couldn't resist the sleepy, fucked-out look on Eren's face. The younger man attempted to return the favor, but Levi just shook his head and pulled them from the shower, toweling them both off before leading them back to the bedroom. He forced Eren to wait while he changed the bedding, which Eren made sure to bitch about, but once they crawled under those crisp, clean sheets, all complaints died in his throat.

"Good night, Levi…" Eren offered tiredly, practically nuzzling his face into the pillow.

Levi ran his palm up Eren's back, moving closer until his chest was pressed against it. He kissed the back of his neck softly before burying himself into the pillow right up against him. "Good night."

That was all he managed before sleep took them both.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

...

Levi awoke early, no alarm necessary. He had always been an early riser and didn't need much sleep to function. He had a moment of panic when he felt the warmth of a body in the bed next to him, but then he remembered everything from yesterday and he found himself relaxing. Eren was sound asleep snuggled into the covers, only his hair visible from under the sheets. Levi climbed out of bed and dug through the pile of jeans, pulling on his boxers before looking for his phone. He ended up with an unfamiliar one and realized it was Eren's.

When a notification popped up, he swiped it to unlock and cringed. There were about fifty missed calls and numerous texts from Mikasa. She'd probably noticed they weren't at the after-hours staff meeting and forced the truth out of Erwin. At least it looked like she'd had the presence of mind not to involve Armin, since there were no calls or texts from him.

He figured it was probably best to get it out of the way before the girl did decide to tell Armin, so he headed down the hallway and called her back.

It took less than two rings for her to answer, and when she did, she sounded more emotional than he'd ever personally heard her. "Eren?!"

"It's Levi." He clarified.

Mikasa paused on the other end of the line. "Levi? Why do you...where's Eren?"

"Eren's fine, he's still sleeping." Levi told her, his voice quiet. "Have you spoken to Armin?"

"What? No...he's still in bed. When Eren wouldn't answer his phone, I went to his place and let myself in with my spare. Eren wasn't here so I stayed in case Armin needed anything." Mikasa explained.

Levi was rather impressed...that was nice of her. He knew Mikasa was a friend of Eren's from his conversations with Erwin…but he hadn't realized just how close they were until now. "So you're still at his place?"

"Yes...and if Eren isn't back soon, Armin's going to be worried sick."

"All right. I'll bring him over and get breakfast for everyone." Levi sighed. Eren probably still didn't want to talk about it, especially not to his brother.

Mikasa paused, hesitating. "Erwin told me what happened at the club...but when he said you were taking Eren home, I thought he meant to Eren's place, not yours."

"Eren didn't want to go home to Armin in his state." Levi explained softly.

"And that's the only reason you took him home?" Mikasa asked, her voice flat, almost incredulous.

Levi sighed. "Mikasa...I understand Eren is your friend, but I'm not in the business of hurting people." Well, not anymore he wasn't.

Mikasa exhaled. "I know...and I know it's not technically my business, but Eren is like a brother to me. Someone's got to look out for him."

Levi scoffed bitterly. That was certainly true, and it was supposed to be his job, according to Armin. Not that he was doing a very good job if it. "Don't worry about it. Eren will have the opportunity to explain everything when we get there."

He practically heard Mikasa nod. "Okay...I'll see you both soon."

Levi sighed once he'd hung up the phone. This was going to suck so much, most of all for Eren.

He padded back to the bedroom, fishing through their clothes again to find his own phone. Several missed calls from Erwin. Probably either checking in or warning him about Mikasa. A quick scan of his texts told him it was both. He figured he could deal with that later...first things first, which meant he had to get Eren out of bed.

He sighed for about the twelfth time already that morning, going over to Eren's side of the bed. The boy was still fast asleep, snoring softly. Levi ignored the lurch in his stomach and nudged him.

"Eren...wake up." Nothing. He nudged harder. "Eren...it's morning. We need to get you back home."

Eren groaned, turning over and trying to crawl away.

Levi rolled his eyes, kneeling next to him on the bed and shaking him much harder. "Oi, don't be such a brat. Get your ass out of bed."

Eren growled, peeking up at him with only one eye. "You suck at waking people up."

Levi raised an eyebrow, looking down at him. "Is that so? And how should I wake up stubborn brats like you, huh?"

Eren gave only a hint of a smirk before tackling Levi back onto the bed, mouth latching to his neck. Levi grunted in surprise, but it certainly wasn't a complaint. Eren had needed comfort last night, but this was something completely different. Levi decided immediately that he liked different.

"Hm...I could always get the ice water..." Levi threatened, but Eren silenced him with a kiss, his hands trailing down the older man's body. He growled in annoyance when he got to the waistband of his boxers, yanking them down and off with a petulant sort of sound.

Levi lifted his hips to accommodate, and Eren immediately shoved his arms under him, hooking them around his thighs. He wasn't even sure when the boy had slid down his body, but that was definitely a nose nuzzling against his thigh as he mouthed at the jut of Levi's hip bone. Eren breathed hotly over the pale flesh, planting open-mouthed kisses along his abdomen and under his navel. Levi just watched him, Eren's own eyes flicking up and offering a coy little smirk that was damn adorable paired with his insane bedhead.

"Have something a little different in mind." Eren quipped, kissing lower and lower until his tongue was darting out over Levi's pubic bone. The older man groaned, half in annoyance and half in need as his hips bucked lightly against the boy's chin.

Eren licked a slow stripe along the underside of his cock, root to tip, and Levi tried not to writhe. He wasn't exactly a horny teenager, but clearly Eren was a goddamn tease. He flicked his tongue along the slit, lapping at the beads of pre-cum there before taking just the head into his mouth. He suckled softly, getting used to keeping his teeth tucked behind his lips. The older man questioned the effectiveness of their position; his hips were canted upward and Eren's arms were pinned under him, hands forced to grip his thighs. It was better for a girl, he imagined, and it limited the use of his hands, but he didn't want to say anything, figuring he'd learn the hard way. Well, that was until Eren moved again.

And Jesus Christ, it was like the kid didn't have a gag reflex even though Levi wasn't exactly lacking in that department. Regardless, he didn't even look like he was struggling, and if this was his first time with a guy, he was a very quick learner. His tongue swirled along the head of the other man's cock in a move that felt very reminiscent of their shower last night. Sure enough, Eren was learning by example; he started him slow, bobbing his head in a gently building rhythm that had Levi panting and writhing under him in no time.

He carded a hand into Eren's ridiculous bedhead, gripping probably a little too hard. "Fuck, Eren...Careful...gonna choke..."

Eren groaned at that, the vibrations thrumming through Levi's cock. He took it as a challenge, taking him as far down as he could and swallowing around the head, feeling it nudge the back of his throat but not even flinching.

Levi was not a religious man, but he was all but screaming for a deity at that point, the hand in Eren's hair gripping him painfully tightly while the other scrabbled at the sheets. Eren looked so damn proud of himself, even with the tears burning in the corners of his eyes from the pull at his scalp and the lack of air. Even last night, Levi was, for the most part, extremely composed. But now? He was barely holding it together.

Eren pulled almost all the way off just to breathe, taking a moment to suckle at the head of Levi's cock as he swiped his tongue along the slit teasingly. He looked up at the other man with an expression somewhere between cocky and worshipful, and Levi promptly lost it. He threw his head back and moaned brokenly when Eren took him all the way down again, barely managing a warning before he was coming down the boy's throat. He swallowed greedily, pulling off just enough to get a taste of him as he did so.

A shudder rippled through Levi as he came down, gasping in ragged breaths in an attempt to stop his head from spinning. How this kid could have such a profound effect on him was utterly beyond him, but as he sat up, he wanted nothing more than to wipe that smug smirk right off his face.

"That's how you wake someone up." Eren chided, sitting back on his knees.

"I was already awake, brat." Levi quipped.

Eren rolled his eyes. "But you're more awake now."

"Look at you acting like some kind of expert. Twenty bucks says that was your first blowjob." Levi challenged.

Eren pouted. "Was it that obvious?"

Levi gave a piteous look at that expression. "No…but you said last night was your first time with a man. I assumed for everything."

"You assumed correctly." Eren confirmed.

"Well now I'm assuming you're going to bitch when I tell you we need a shower, now. Then I need to get you back to your place. Mikasa's there waiting for you."

Eren frowned. "Mikasa? What's she doing there?"

"She pressured Erwin into telling her what happened when we both weren't at the after-hours meeting last night." Levi told him. "Come on, shower."

"My god, you are so whiny when you aren't squeaky fucking clean." Eren teased, letting himself be pulled to the bathroom.

Levi looked back at him with a deadly glare. "You're the only one who's about to be whining."

And he made good by his promise, scrubbing Eren and himself clean before pinning the boy to the shower wall and finger-fucking him until he was whining Levi's name as he came. Levi couldn't help but wear his own cocky grin, then.

They dried off, dressed and headed for Eren's place, the boy finally actually giving him directions. Levi could tell Eren's stomach was twisted into nervous knots…he was gripping the fabric of his jeans tightly as they drove. Levi stopped at a donut shop and grabbed a bunch of bagels and cream-cheese, figuring he could just make coffee at Eren and Armin's.

When they arrived, Mikasa let them in, but she had a deep frown on her face. They realized why when they stepped inside and caught sight of Armin sitting at the kitchen table, looking worried sick. He jumped up the moment he saw his brother, running right to him and crushing him into a hug.

"Eren!" He yelped, pulling back to look him over. With his shirt on, he didn't look any worse for wear, which he supposed was a good thing. "What happened? Why didn't you come home last night?!"

Eren sighed, petting at Armin's hair absently. "I'm sorry, bro—"

"Whoa, Levi! What happened to you?!" Armin interrupted, staring at the man with wide eyes. That bruise on his jaw was dark and purple now, his lip was swollen even more after Eren's attentions, and the bandages on his knuckles were fairly obvious from where he was petting Bean, who had come to the door to greet them.

"You should see the other guy." Levi quipped, though there wasn't any humor in his voice.

Eren huffed a laugh at that, though, because Levi had, in fact, done a number on the other guy, that much was for sure. "Come on…we brought breakfast. I'll explain everything."

Eren set out the bagels while Levi made coffee, Mikasa and Armin watching in anxious anticipation the whole time. Eren felt like he'd had several holes bored into him from the intense gazes.

He didn't want to tell Armin what happened…not everything. He kept it vague: a customer got out of hand last night. Levi was going to take him home when the guy came back for more, and Levi kicked his ass.

"I didn't know about that last part..." Mikasa commented softly once they had finished.

"I just...needed to get out of there. I didn't want to have to explain all that to Erwin on top of it." Eren explained.

Mikasa raised an eyebrow at him. "Really? I would have thought you were protecting Levi."

Both men blinked at her, Levi looking rather unconvinced. Eren shook his head.

"What? No! It was self-defense! Levi was protecting me!"

Mikasa surveyed Levi over her coffee. The man didn't drop his eyes from hers. "I will be telling Erwin about what happened today anyway, so there was nothing for Eren to protect me from, regardless if that was his motivation."

Eren looked at Levi for a moment. "Will...will Erwin be mad?"

"When I first started working for Erwin, a customer grabbed me and I broke his arm in three places." Levi deadpanned. "He told me not to let it happen again, but I'm sure he will understand."

Eren balked at him. "Um...huh. Well, wow. Yeah, I think he'll be reasonable, then."

"Of course that customer had a questionable background Erwin was aware of that kept him from pressing charges, but no, I don't believe Erwin will be angry." Levi added.

Armin finally spoke up, after listening intently through the whole thing. "But…you're gonna keep doing it?"

Eren gave a shaky exhale. "Yeah. I'm gonna...stay away from private dances, but yeah, I'm okay."

"You don't need to keep working there, Eren." Armin said, his tone edged in worry. "If you want to stop, that's okay. I'm sure you can find another job and we'll make do."

"I'm certain Erwin would switch you back to bartending if you asked." Levi commented in a low voice, his thoughts clearly elsewhere.

Eren shook his head. "No. I like the money I make dancing." He couldn't call it stripping in front of Armin…it was too weird. "I don't want to stop."

Armin frowned. "Well…okay. If you're sure."

Eren gave a determined nod. "I am."

Mikasa covered a yawn. "Well…if you boys are okay now, I need to head home and get some sleep before my shift. Are you sure you'll be all right Eren? Armin?"

The two nodded, the former speaking. "Yes…and thank you so much for staying with Armin last night, Mikasa. I owe you big time."

"It's all right. Just take care of each other." She told them, offering them each a kiss on the forehead before she left.

Once she had gone, Levi stood. "I'm sure you two would like to speak in private. I can go for now, and pick you up before our shift if you'd like, Eren."

Eren blinked. "That's right…my car's still at the club…"

"You don't have to leave." Armin piped up. "Weather forecast was crappy for the weekend, so I was just gonna ask Eren to stay in and play video games with me. You can stay, too, if you want. And if Eren's okay with it."

"Yeah, that's fine…" Eren looked a little panicked suddenly. "Oh crap, if it's gonna rain, I better take Bean out now."

Armin looked down at himself. "I'm still in my pajamas…"

"No, it's okay, I'll go. Levi, do you mind?" Eren asked as he grabbed Bean's leash from the hook by the door. The dog went crazy, jumping up and down so that Eren had to struggle to get it clipped to his harness.

"Of course not, go on ahead." Levi told him.

"Great, I'll be back soon." Eren said before heading out the door.

Levi watched him go before moving to the bagels still left on the serving plate. He put them back in the bag and rolled it closed, clipping it with one of the clamps hanging on the fridge.

"Not one for leaving things out, huh?" Armin asked, turning on his stool to watch him.

"I like things to be clean." Levi said simply, taking the plates and the knife they'd used for the cream cheese to the sink to wash them, putting what remained of the topping into the fridge.

"Weekends are for fun, not cleaning." Armin teased.

Levi grimaced as he scrubbed at the dishes. "Cleaning is for every day."

He didn't stop at the dishes, also wiping down the counters with a rag. When he was done, he washed that and his own hands before toweling them off. He was hanging the towel back up when he felt arms around his middle.

Armin was hugging him tightly, voice muffled by Levi's hoodie. "Thank you, Levi."

The other man blinked down at him, arms hovering like he didn't know what to do with them. "I…don't understand. They're just dishes—"

Armin pulled back enough to look up at him. "For protecting my brother! If you hadn't been there—"

"I couldn't protect him." Levi told him, staring at the floor. His fists clenched at his sides. "The first time, I wasn't…"

"Hey!" Armin shoved him, and although Levi hardly budged, he still looked down at the boy in shock. "Don't be stupid. My brother could have seriously been hurt if it weren't for you. And you actually did get hurt because you were protecting him. So quit being such a jerk and accept the gratitude."

Levi stared at him for several seconds in disbelief before a smile finally spread across his lips, and he laughed. "All right. I accept. And my promise still stands."

Armin grinned, satisfied. "You two are a lot alike, you know."

Levi glanced over at a photo of Eren and Armin together that was hanging on a nearby wall. They were both smiling and happy. He really didn't see any similarities to himself. "And how is that?"

"You're both so stubborn and strong-willed." Armin explained. "And you both think that what you do is never enough, even though it's more than anyone could hope for."

Levi couldn't help the small, melancholy smile on his lips at that point. "Is that so? Well, we both also think you're a brat." He countered, smirking as he ruffled Armin's hair.

"Argh! Why do you both have to do that?" Armin whined, pulling away and running his fingers through it to try to repair the damage.

Levi just laughed, watching in amusement. There was no doubt in his mind that if he'd had a brother like Armin growing up, he would have done anything for him, too…just like Eren.

Levi did his best to protect Eren from a damn inquisition from Erwin, but it really couldn't be helped. Erwin, trying to be helpful as ever, had thrown words around like 'therapy' and 'recovery' and Eren was about three seconds from pulling his hair out and walking out of the room. He was fine. Why didn't anyone believe that he was fine?

After finally convincing Erwin that he was good to work as long as he didn't have to do private dances, the man let him leave his office just in time to fit in a short rehearsal and workout before the show. Eren saw Levi still waiting outside the office as instructed and gave him a piteous smile, mouthing, 'good luck'. Levi nodded in return before going in, closing the door behind him.

"Levi, have a seat." Erwin said, much too casual. He was clearly not entirely thrilled about the situation, and acting had never been his strong suit.

"I find it curious that despite the fact that the incident happened when we were together, you chose to speak to us separately." Levi commented, fingers gliding over the back of the leather chair before he took a seat, crossing his legs.

"I didn't want Eren to feel uncomfortable." Erwin replied, far too much justification in his tone.

Levi raised an eyebrow. "I already know what happened, it wouldn't be news to me. Furthermore, you wanted him to seek counseling. If you truly wanted him to be comfortable, you would have had me in here with him, as support."

Erwin huffed a small laugh. "Thin walls, I suppose."

"Why did you really speak to us separately? Do you doubt my story? His?" Levi countered.

"No. But I needed to know for sure." Erwin replied, looking at Levi intently. "Eren said you defended him against the other man…kept using that word, 'defended'. I had to drag the rest out of him like pulling teeth. You punched him, that's all he would say."

So, Eren did feel like he needed to protect him. "I did punch him. Repeatedly, until he stopped hitting back. He was able to run off after, so I couldn't have done too much damage."

"Did you like it?" Erwin asked, his tone serious as he rounded on him.

Levi regarded him for a moment. "You're going to need to be a little more specific."

Erwin stared at him gravely. "Did you enjoy it?"

Levi paused for a few seconds, then shook his head. "No. I wasn't...having fun, if that's what you mean. Not like...back then. I liked that I was getting revenge for Eren, yes...like it was justice, in some way. But I didn't take pleasure in it beyond that."

Erwin nodded, letting out the breath he'd been holding. "All right. What about Eren? How is he?"

Levi's brow furrowed. "You just spoke with him."

"I did. I'm asking your opinion."

Levi sighed. "Eren is very strong-willed. He won't let something like this break him. But I think he will stay away from private dances, and I think that's for the best."

Erwin shrugged. "It can't be helped."

"Don't worry. I'm working on something that will more than make up for it." Levi promised, standing. "Should be ready to roll out in the next week or two, but I'll need you to order a second pole."

With that, he left the room, heading for the gym.

The guys kept to a sort of don't ask/don't tell code, clearly treading lightly but not acknowledging what happened without Eren or Levi bringing it up, which they didn't. Levi expertly covered his bruise with foundation, slipping on some fingerless gloves to go with his bad-boy biker routine which would hide his bandaged knuckles. Levi originally tried to help Eren cover up the scratches on his chest with DermaBlend, but the younger man ended up getting frustrated at how it looked. Levi just let him borrow his extra strap outfit, since he had one in black and one in brown and the brown just didn't look quite as good with his pale skin tone. The straps broke up the spots where the makeup was blended and even covered some of the scratches entirely. He felt better after that, especially when Annie brought them their drinks. Eren had taken to drinking a shot of Jameson before his sets just to loosen himself up, even if Reiner seemed offended that he didn't ask for Jaeger.

Levi watched Eren like a hawk that night, not even trying to be subtle about it. But once he was out on stage, Eren felt worlds better. He could do this...for Armin and for himself. For once, he didn't want to have to struggle to pay the rent with measly diner tips and take home scraps for dinner. He didn't want to wonder how he was going to get Armin a new notebook for school next semester, or have to give him hand-me-down clothes when he grew another three inches. He knew Armin resented that Eren had stooped to stripping to get by...but to Eren, it didn't feel like stooping at all. Even though in that room, he'd felt weak and vulnerable...on stage, he'd never felt more empowered. It was liberating, and he couldn't give that up. Even money aside, the job itself was one he didn't want to stop doing…not when it made him feel like this.

And not when it had introduced him to Levi.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

...

Once Erwin had confirmed that Levi did, in fact, actually require a second pole for the routine he was working on, he had it ordered and installed that week. Levi worked Eren in the gym harder than ever on the single pole in there prior to bringing him out to the stage before club hours that Thursday once it was installed.

"There's…two poles." Eren commented obviously. "Wait, are we dancing together?"

Levi smirked, nodding. "Precisely. The routine I've been teaching you is one half of a duet."

Eren frowned, looking down. "I'm gonna look like crap dancing next to you…"

Levi swatted the back of his head. "Shut up. No you won't."

"Ow…" Eren rubbed at his head. "Okay, so assuming I won't…how is this gonna work?"

Levi took his hand. "Let me show you."

Now that they had the two poles, they rehearsed every day (except Sunday) before Eren's shifts, Levi telling him that they were premiering the routine the next Saturday. Eren became more and more comfortable with each practice, and Levi even added in a few trade-offs where they would switch poles or even share for one move set.

Erwin came in early the Thursday before they were to debut the show, but the two dancers were entirely too engrossed in what they were doing to notice him. The music wasn't loud at all, but in the empty space devoid of an audience, it echoed impressively, as did their voices.

"No, Eren, for the seventh time, you kick up with the left leg." Levi corrected in an exasperated tone.

Eren huffed. "Does it even matter? It feels more natural with the right!"

"Yes, it matters. The leg placement has to be that way so we mirror each other. Quit being such a brat." Levi griped.

"You know, normally when people like each other, they call them nice things, like 'babe' and 'hon', not 'brat'!" Eren quipped, his back still on the pole with his hands gripping it above his head.

"Do I seem like the kind of person who throws around endearing nicknames?" Levi deadpanned, stepping into Eren's space.

"You could be, if you weren't such a dick all the time." Eren countered, no actual venom in his tone. He brought his legs up, holding himself on the pole as he hooked his ankles behind Levi's back and hugged the man to himself with his legs.

Levi growled as he was pulled against Eren's chest. "Well I wouldn't call you a brat if you weren't being one…"

He threaded his arms under Eren's, gripping the pole behind him and shoving his hips against the younger man as he leaned in and kissed him. It was filthy, all lips and tongue, and any retort Eren had died in his throat. Erwin watched despite himself, more than a little shocked. He'd had his suspicions about the two...but he'd never known Levi to show interest in anyone, so it was still a bit of a surprise.

Eren knew Levi wouldn't drop him, so he let go of the pole and flung his arms around the other man's neck, carding one hand into his hair as he deepened the kiss.

A loud cough startled them both and Eren all but bounded out of Levi's arms, blushing twelve shades of crimson when he saw Erwin standing in front of the stage.

"You're early." Levi said, somehow completely unfazed.

"I was checking to see if the new light shipments came in. That's an interesting routine you're working on." Erwin replied, clearly trying to hide a smirk.

Levi shrugged. "Just a bit of motivation. That won't be in the show."

"Good...I don't think our typical audience likes the dancers getting quite that up close and personal with each other. Although I suppose I could survey it and see if it's worth adding in..." Their boss trailed off thoughtfully.

"Wait, you're not mad?" Eren balked.

"As long as it doesn't affect your work, what do I care?" Erwin told them dismissively.

Levi and Eren shared a look, the latter speaking. "Oh...okay. Well, um...sorry. We'll, uh…get back to work…"

"Sounds good. Looking forward to the show." Erwin replied with a wink before heading to his office.

And the show ended up being pretty damn good.

That Saturday, Levi had Erwin rearrange the dance schedule so that he and Eren went out last after the main group and individual routines, and that ended up being a damn good way to end the night. The other guys had already headed for the showers, claiming they'd seen enough of the rehearsals to get the gist of it. Eren was a little offended that they didn't want to watch, since he always tried to be supportive when it came to their routines, but he swallowed the feeling down with his second shot of Jameson for the night before heading out onto the stage.

Because the routine spoke for itself, Levi had insisted on simple costumes. Normal clothes; grey tank-tops and rip-away cargo pants in black. Tight, black shorts underneath. No shoes. They were rid of the clothes almost immediately…none of the usual slow burn Levi was known for. By the time the first verse was over and the bridge started, they had already stripped out of their shirts and tossed the discarded articles to the wildly screaming audience. The pants were soon to follow. They danced between the two poles and Eren glanced over at Levi as they were about to hit the cue for moving to the poles.

That ended up being the worst mistake of his life, because the in-character, smoldering glance that Levi sent him in return was completely debilitating and he almost forgot his count before he rushed over to his pole for the chorus.

The practice paid off: they were completely in-sync for the entire set on the pole, moving in an opposite mirror of each other and dropping off perfectly in time before the second verse. They switched poles during the verse, dancing off the pole but not too close for the bridge, keeping the illusion that they were dancing only for the women in the audience and not for each other. They were back on their poles for the second chorus, performing their moves perfectly in time with each other and with the song. They dropped off again as the chorus ended, but while Eren stayed at his pole, Levi left his to join him on the middle eight of the song. Eren stayed low on the pole in an inverted straddle while Levi climbed above him, twisting upside-down to perform an elbow handstand split that earned a raucous 'whoop' from the audience.

Levi slid back down opposite from Eren and they twirled around the pole in tandem for an inside skater spin. Their eyes locked, but once their feet hit the floor, Levi was darting back to his pole for the final chorus. They danced the bridge with just their legs hooked on the poles, twisting down to the floor before climbing back up in time for the last chorus. They performed a completely synchronized final set, but Eren's was done at the base of his pole while Levi had climbed over halfway up for his. The moves were identical, but the different locations on the pole made them seem visually unique.

It was unclear whether their audience appreciated the artistry of it or if they just thought it was incredibly sexy because the moment the two men slid to crouch at the bottom of their respective poles, the crowd went wild, money flying at them from all sides. Eren had never seen so many tips in one night, even accounting for splitting them with Levi. It was extremely hard not to just break into a victorious grin. Seeing Levi still completely in-character, collected save for that heated gaze he reserved only for Eren did wonders in motivating him. They gathered up all their tips before heading back to the prep-room, depositing them by their lockers as Erwin and Mikasa worked on getting the club cleared out. Reiner, Marco and Jean all offered high-fives to Eren and Levi as they passed them in the hall, the latter two on their way to the showers while the former three had just gotten finished.

The moment the men were out of sight, Levi pushed Eren into the washroom, locking the door behind them and all but lunging on the boy.

"Eren, you were perfect…" Levi murmured, yanking down the boy's too-tight shorts to the point that Eren nearly tripped trying to step out of them.

"Fuck, Levi—we're at work…" He protested as he was shoved into one of the shower stalls.

"Guys are done showering, door's locked…we'll make it quick." Levi promised, shucking his own shorts and starting up the water. It was only cold for a few seconds, heating up quickly since it had been used so recently.

"Are you su—?" Eren couldn't very well finish his thought with Levi's tongue in his mouth, and he didn't much care to try.

Levi settled on stealing Marco's body oil because there was no lube within arm's reach, and they both resolved just not to tell him and hope he didn't notice there was a fair amount missing. It had ended up smeared on Levi's fingers as he prepped Eren, the boy biting his hand until it nearly bled as he desperately tried not to make too much noise. Even more was drizzled on both their cocks as Levi stroked them together, reveling in how hard it was for the younger man to keep from crying out. Finally, Levi spun him around, pinning him against the waist-high wall in between the stalls and entering him in a slow, easy slide. Eren clung to the tile desperately, teeth still digging into his flesh as he put every effort into not screaming for Levi to fuck him.

And fuck him Levi did, pulling nearly all the way out before slamming back in, knees quaking with the tightness of him. He leaned down and licked the water droplets running down his back, drinking in the perfect arch of his spine as he took Levi like he was made for it.

"You did so well, Eren…" Levi cooed against his water-slicked skin. "Didn't miss a single cue, every move was in its place, no wrong foot or skipped beats…flawless…"

Eren shivered, rutting back into the older man's thrusts. "God, Levi…the way you dance…couldn't disappoint you…"

"You didn't." Levi told him like a promise, nipping at his shoulder blade as he snapped his hips just a little bit faster. Eren keened under him, biting his hand again. "Now let me reward you…"

Eren all but yelped when Levi's hand reached under him to wrap around his cock, jacking him slow but silky smooth thanks to the body oil. He had to release his hand from his mouth just to breathe, gasping in ragged breaths as he struggled just to keep standing. "Fuck, Levi…yes…"

Levi rather liked reducing Eren to nothing but sounds and basic profanity, leaning down to lick along the shell of his ear as his thumb teased the head of Eren's cock. He didn't even need to speak: the moment Levi's teeth grazed his earlobe, he was gone, burying his face into his elbow to stifle his cry as he came all over the tile wall.

Levi worked him through it before he allowed himself to come, reveling in the feel of Eren's body shivering around him when he finally filled him. He left Eren under him like that as he grabbed the soap to scrub them down, taking extra time to massage into the boy's back and work out all the aches he may have been feeling.

Eren melted under Levi's touch, wondering whatever the hell he'd done to deserve someone like him. He also wondered what he'd done to deserve a boss like Erwin, because no one disturbed them, no matter how long their 'shower' was taking.

It was actually the next day when Eren received a text he hadn't been expecting. He honestly didn't even remember when he and Levi had exchanged phone numbers but there it was, popping up on his iPhone screen like it was just any ordinary text.

From: Levi  
It occurs to me that I haven't taken you out on a date.

Eren pondered that for several minutes, not sure what to make of it. Part of him was doing mental backflips at the idea that maybe, just maybe, he and Levi weren't just friends with benefits. The other part wondered if Levi was either plastered or deciding to fuck with him.

From: Eren  
Are you drunk?

From: Levi  
That's rude. It's not even noon and I hardly drink, brat.

From Levi:  
Isn't that what people do, though? Take each other out on dates?

From: Eren  
Sorry, it just seemed…random. I guess…I mean…did Busch Gardens count?

From: Levi  
…I'm not sure. Your brother and Mikasa were there.

From: Eren  
I'm gonna go with no. So, you wanna take me out, huh? I'm not a cheap date ;)

From: Levi  
That's okay, I can afford it on my untaxed stripper income.

From: Eren  
Your dry humor never ceases to amuse. Where are you wanting to go? And when?

From: Levi  
There's a holiday weekend coming up. How about that Sunday? I thought Armin could stay with a friend so he wouldn't have to be alone in your apartment that night.

From: Eren  
That's thoughtful of you. I'll see what I can set up for him. You still didn't answer my other question.

From: Levi  
Probably because I want to at least be some kind of surprise, brat.

From: Eren  
We really need to work on your pet names.

Terrible endearments aside, Levi was a classy guy when he wasn't taking his clothes off for money (not that he wasn't classy then, too, but a strip club wasn't exactly Eren's idea of a date). Eren had arranged for Armin to stay at a friend from school's house for a sleepover Sunday night since Monday was a school holiday. Levi picked Eren up early in the afternoon and headed for the harbor. He took Eren out on a fancy dinner cruise around the bay with a big band and cocktails and Eren had to admit he'd never been on a more romantic date. He actually couldn't really remember the last time he'd truly dated anyone. He took a girl to dinner and a movie once in high school and that was just about his entire dating history. He lost his virginity to her at prom and he never really bothered with it after that.

Levi, though, was in a completely different category. Away from the club, he was intuitive; asking Eren all about his plans and aspirations, his life with Armin, the hardships he was willing to share (and carefully avoiding the ones he wasn't). Levi himself was very guarded about his past, but he told Eren more than he told anyone except Erwin: he got in with a bad crowd at a young age and he did a lot of their dirty work. He did things he wasn't proud of, but Erwin found him and cleaned him up and gave him a job when everyone else was too scared to even talk to him.

They had coffee at a café back on land after the cruise and Levi had no reservations about putting his arm around Eren's waist as they walked through downtown. Eren was grinning like an idiot the whole time, not even seeing the few bigoted people they came across giving them dirty looks. Levi glared at them so effectively that they all just looked down and moved on their way before Eren could even notice them.

Once Levi had sobered up from the wine at dinner, he drove them both back to his place. He and Eren shed their shoes and jackets at the door, but the moment they were off, the younger man had crowded into his space and kissed him recklessly, pawing at his belt.

Levi just chuckled dirtily, getting a good grip on Eren's own belt and using it to lead him across the room. He stood him in front of the sofa and deftly undid the buckle, sliding it out of the loops and pitching it aside. He placed a palm on Eren's chest and shoved, the boy falling back to sit on the couch.

"Want to do something for you…" Levi said softly, crossing the short space of the room to the bookcase shelf where his iPod dock sat. He pressed the button in the center, scrolling through his playlists until he found the one he wanted.

Eren's eyes lit up. "You're dancing for me?"

Levi smirked. Despite that they did it for a living, the fact that Eren was still so eager made him happy. "Consider it a private dance."

Eren practically beamed, but Levi cut him off with a raised finger before he could say anything more.

"But that means, house rules tonight…no touching." The older man said, sending a wink at Eren over his shoulder. He ripped off his own belt, tossing it over by Eren's. "Wonder just how long you can resist…"

Levi pressed the button on the iPod, and a soothing, slow tune filled the room. He untucked his shirt as he started rolling his hips in time, running a hand through his hair before letting it trail down his face, neck and chest. Eren watched, mesmerized as Levi moved back to the couch, standing just far enough in front of him that their legs didn't touch.

Is there a part of me that's part of you?  
If I shed a tear, baby do you bleed?  
Is there a heart in me that's close to you?  
Is there a path to you I haven't seen?

Eren wasn't sure what was more arousing: the look on Levi's face (eyes smoldering and locked on his, mouth parted slightly and neck craned back), the sway of his hips, or the movement of his deft, slender fingers as they worked at the buttons of his dress shirt. He took his time, working from top to bottom and somehow only with one hand, the other dragging down his side and over his hip.

I can't ever,  
Ever tell you why,  
You are my horizon.  
I'll just hold my tongue,  
I really wanna show you how I'm loving you,  
In my life…

Once every button was undone, Levi let the shirt fall open but kept it on his shoulders as he knelt on the couch, straddling Eren's lap in a way that allowed contact only at the thighs and not where Eren really wanted it. The younger man groaned, hands coming up in a movement that was aborted when he saw the dangerous look in Levi's eyes. He planted his palms back onto the couch, gripping at the cushions for dear life.

New innocence,  
Awakening in me, in me,  
Awakening…

Levi started rolling his hips again, still only allowing contact at the thighs. He smoothed his palms up his own chest, letting his fingers dip into every curve of his abs, over his solar plexus, past his collarbone and up his neck until they could card into his hair. Eren licked his lips, literally unable to look away.

Crystal sparks when I spotted you,  
Ricocheting colors in a cavalcade.  
Eye of the storm is a part of you,  
The Empire's Sun, the eternal flame…

Levi dropped his arms, arching back to finally allow his shirt to slide off his shoulders and pool on the floor. As he leaned back up toward Eren, he gyrated his hips in a circular motion, earning a whimper from the boy.

I can't ever,  
Ever tell you why,  
You are my horizon.  
I'll just hold my tongue,  
I really wanna show you how I'm loving you,  
In my life…

Levi brought his hands up to grip the back of the couch on either side of Eren's head, finally spreading his legs and dropping down to settle into the younger man's lap. He circled his hips again and that was the last straw for Eren. His hands came up to drag down Levi's back with blunt nails, hauling the man down for a filthy kiss. He rutted his own hips up for more of that delicious friction as he licked into Levi's mouth, the other man thankfully apparently done teasing as he reciprocated.

New innocence,  
Awakening in me, in me,  
Awakening…

Levi gripped Eren's shirt in both hands and pulled, pivoting so that he was lying back on the couch with Eren on top of him. He all but ripped off the younger man's shirt once he had no further use for it, tossing it over his own head and off the side of the couch. They clawed at each other's jeans, hips arching and knees contorting until they were both blessedly naked.

There's a higher way from here,  
There's a higher way from here,  
There's a place we run from here,  
There's a place that's far from here…

Levi wrapped his legs around Eren's waist, hauling him down for a bruising kiss. He reached behind himself to fumble through the end-table drawer, coming back with a small bottle of lube he'd stashed there days ago. He pressed it into Eren's chest until the boy took it from him.

The boy pulled away for air and blinked at him for a moment. "You want me to…? Myself…?" His cheeks burned bright red as he clutched the bottle tightly in his hand.

"Me, you dumb brat. You, fuck me." Levi bit back, half exasperated but mostly amused.

"Oh…" Eren paused. "Oh! Really? You want…are you sure?"

Levi gave him a dangerous look. "Eren…"

"Okay, right, sorry…" The boy stammered. He took a breath as he coated his fingers with the lube. He could do this…he'd just mimic what Levi did for him and he'd be fine.

And it was more than fine, once they found a rhythm that worked. He prepped Levi just like the other man had done for him plenty of times, pressing a single finger in at first and working it into him until he was ready for a second, then a third. Levi was usually so damn composed during sex (Eren assumed it was from experience; after all, Levi was more than ten years his senior), but with Eren working him open, he became an impatient, writhing mess underneath him. He called Eren more names in five minutes than he had in almost four months of knowing him, and Eren wasn't sure if he was more afraid or amused.

After a particularly nasty threat on his life from the other man, Eren decided Levi was probably ready, and even if he wasn't, it wasn't worth his head to keep trying to tease him. He coated his cock with more of the lube before pressing against him, slow and steady.

Levi was literally having none of that, throwing his legs up and hooking them over Eren's shoulders. In that moment, he was reminded that Levi was much more flexible than he was, and he groaned as the other man pressed his ankles into Eren's shoulder blades, forcing him deeper until he was completely inside him.

"Fuck, Eren…move, goddammit." He growled, grinding into him.

Eren let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding before complying, like he had any other choice. He wrapped his arms around Levi's thighs, gripping his knees as he finally started rolling his hips. He wasn't sure which one of them let out the inhuman groan that followed, but he was pretty sure it was the hottest thing he'd ever witnessed paired with the sight before him. Levi threw his arms over his head and gripped the arm of the couch using the leverage to meet each of Eren's thrusts.

The mechanics weren't unfamiliar, so Eren had a good rhythm for them both in no time, snapping his hips after every slow drag. His eyes never left Levi, admiring the curve of his neck, the clench of his abs when Eren thrust just right, the way he bit his lip to stifle the noises that threatened to spill out of him, unbidden. After a while, the noises couldn't be stopped as he grunted with every gasping breath, still grinding himself down on Eren's cock.

Eren was just reaching down between them when Levi's hand swatted his away. "No. Just you."

Eren wasn't sure what he meant by that…not right away. Not until Levi's hand returned to the couch, Eren's returned to Levi's knee and it hit him. All of the air left Eren's lungs in a filthy groan as he snapped his hips harder, wanting nothing more than to see Levi come from nothing but his cock.

"Oh, fuck, Eren! Just like that…fuck!" Levi swore, throwing his head back. It spurred Eren on if nothing else, and within moments, he felt Levi shivering around him before he let out a loud cry, painting his own chest as he came completely untouched.

Eren stood no chance, coming the moment Levi's body tightened around him with a groan he stifled into Levi's knee. His hips stuttered as he struggled to keep some semblance of rhythm to work Levi through it, and the moment the older man's hands released the couch, Eren let his legs drop off his shoulders and all but collapsed onto his chest. He knew he'd be bitching about a shower in all of five minutes, but it was nice to just catch their breath for a moment.

It wasn't until then he realized Levi had put the song on repeat, as the same chorus was still playing.

New innocence,  
Awakening in me, in me,  
Awakening…


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

...

After their "date", there was a literal shift in the way Levi treated him. They didn't come right out and tell the other guys that they were a thing, but they didn't actively hide it, either. A kiss here, a touch there...eventually they got the hint. Mikasa didn't take it quite as well. She'd always been protective of Eren since high school so it was basically habit for her to glare at Levi and threaten his life. Levi was entirely unfazed, promising he had no intentions of hurting Eren and he had no hand in Eren becoming a stripper in the first place no matter how much Mikasa wanted to place the blame on him. Mikasa did eventually concede that Levi was good for him, and gave her (somewhat reluctant) blessing.

Armin was another story. Eren wrung his hands nervously the night he invited Levi over to break the news to his brother. He'd always raised Armin in a tolerant environment and taught him to love and respect everyone, but he was still a wreck, wondering how he'd react.

The dinner was so utterly normal that Eren had to replay it in his mind several times to make it make any sense. His confession of "Levi and I are seeing each other" was met with an aloof, "Cool. Can you pass the salt?"

Levi couldn't help but chuckle when Eren sat there pathetically trying to explain no you don't understand Levi and I are a thing he is my boyfriend it's okay to freak out a little but Armin just nodded with a, "Yes. I get that, and I'm happy for you both, but really...can I have the salt?"

When Eren had gone to take the trash out that night, Armin grinned at Levi as they worked on the dishes. "Eren hasn't dated in a long time, but I'm really glad he picked you."

Levi smiled to himself at that. "I'm glad he picked me, too."

Armin paused a moment before replying. "I know I look small, but I'll still kick your ass if you hurt him."

"Of that I have little doubt." Levi responded with a wink. "But I still have every intention of keeping our promise."

Armin beamed. "Good, because I'd rather not have to feed you to Bean.

The dog gave a small woof in acknowledgement from his spot in his doggie bed nearby as Armin and Levi laughed together. Eren watched them from the doorway and found himself wondering what he did to deserve such awesome people in his life.

It was a few months later when Eren received a phone call that threatened to send his life into a tail-spin. He'd just gotten home after dropping Armin off at school on a Wednesday when he noticed his phone ringing. No one ever really called him, so it struck him as unusual. He didn't recognize the number, but it was local, so he answered.

"Hello?"

"Is this Eren Jaeger?" The person on the other line snapped. Older, male, clearly pissed about something. He didn't recognize the voice or the number.

"Uh, yes...yes, this is Eren Jaeger."

"It's about time I got a hold of you!" He growled. "My name is Kitts Verman, and I'm Armin's new social worker."

"New social worker? What happened to our old one?" Eren asked.

"Mr. Hannes has retired. I've transferred recently and I've been looking over your file in this last week. I have to say…a fifteen-year-old in the care of a twenty-one-year-old adoptive brother? You were barely eighteen when you gained guardianship?" Verman scoffed. "I've never seen such sloppy work."

"What?" Eren balked. "I'm legally an adult and I have no criminal record, there was no reason Armin couldn't stay with me!"

"He's not even related to you." The man sneered. "He should have been placed back in foster care immediately—"

"Armin didn't want to go! He testified! And he's just as much a brother to me, even if he's not blood related!" Eren yelped. "The court agreed the best place for him was with me, why would you try to drag this up now—?"

"Well they thought it was the best place for him until you started working for Erwin Smith." Verman countered, his tone snide now. "As I was getting familiar with your file, I noticed your employment records had recently been updated."

"Yes…it's part of the review process; I have to prove I have a job and can therefore provide for Armin." Eren replied softly, his heart dropping into his stomach. "I used to work for Mr. Pixis at the Wall Rose Diner, but he passed away and I got a job at Maria's, which is a restaurant owned by Mr. Smith…"

"Oh, working at Maria's, yes of course…I do see that here. What I don't see is where you're also working for his debauched strip joint…but I suppose that's not something one claims on their taxes!" Verman snapped. "With all the advances in information technology, did you really think we wouldn't find out? One search of your name in YouTube and I'm flooded with videos of your disgusting nighttime activities."

Eren was breathing so hard by now he thought he was going to pass out as he paced nervously. "What? No, I'm—what I'm doing isn't illegal, you can't take Armin away for that!"

"The stripping may not be illegal, but that's no environment to raise a child in!" Verman countered. "And don't you play innocent...you're a prostitute at that whorehouse, I just know it!"

"Wh-what?! I'm not a prostitute! I'm seeing someone and it's not for money!" Eren cried. He wasn't sure if he was more angry or distraught, desperately gasping in ragged breaths and just trying to keep the tears at bay.

"Yes, this…Levi fellow all over your Facebook. Disgusting. As if being raised by a faggot isn't bad enough, Armin is being raised by a faggot stripper. We'll be lucky if he isn't already permanently deranged by your influence." Verman spat. "That boy needs Jesus and fast. I doubt there's any hope for you, but I will be damned if I won't try to save him from your disgusting lifestyle. That boy needs Jesus and quick. I'm putting in my review immediately and you should expect Armin to be taken out of your filthy home by the end of the week."

Eren didn't even manage to sob out a word of protest before the man had hung up. The boy could hardly breathe, his vision actually going fuzzy from the lack of air. He was torn between the overwhelming urge to gut the bigoted asshole and the crushing fear that either way, Armin was going to be taken away from him.

Once he got his breathing under control, he scrambled to find his keys and left the apartment, climbing into his car. He didn't know what to do...usually he would go to Mikasa to rant about his problems, but it was a Wednesday, so she was either already at work at Maria's or about to start her shift soon. Eren didn't exactly have a lot of friends, so in that moment, he only had one place to go. And so he drove.

He drove right to that fancy apartment complex that had become so familiar, punched in the visitor code he had memorized by now and barely managed to park his car straight before bounding to the apartment door and knocking repeatedly.

Levi had been reading when the knock distracted him. He set his book and reading glasses aside on the couch before getting up to check the door. He immediately swung it open when he saw who was there, and the state they were in.

"Eren, what's wrong? What happened?" He asked, ushering the boy inside and closing the door behind him. He barely got him to the couch the way he was shaking.

"Armin…they want to…they're going to…" Eren rambled, close to breaking down. Levi sat him on the couch, sitting on the armchair across from him and pulling it closer.

"Start from the beginning, Eren. What happened to Armin?" He urged.

"Not…not happened…not yet…" Eren shook his head. "I got…got a call from DCF. Our social worker had just been switched, the new one called me. He said he did a bunch of digging and research on me after looking over our file. He said he was all over my Facebook page, he found videos of me dancing on YouTube! I thought the club had a no video policy!"

"It does." Levi said softly. "That doesn't mean it's followed. That's how Armin found out about your real job. Go on."

Eren let out a shaky sigh. "He said he saw the pictures of you and me together and assumed I was some kind of gay prostitute or something! He didn't even care when I said I don't actually sleep with people for money, that my job is completely legal. He wouldn't let me explain that Armin has never been and will never be at my place of work…"

Levi rubbed at Eren's back as he became more and more hysterical. "Who was it, Eren?"

"This…this social worker, it's like he's making it his mission to pull us apart. He's on some kind of witch-hunt! He doesn't approve of my job, he says my lifestyle is toxic to my brother…they're going to take Armin away from me!"

Levi looked livid, if not determined. "A name, Eren. Give me a name."

"Mr. Verman. Kitts Verman." Eren sobbed.

Levi jumped up, pulling on his jacket. Eren watched him with wide-eyes, not understanding.

"Levi…where…where are you going?!"

"Do you trust me?" Levi asked, ignoring the question.

Eren stammered. "Yes, I mean, but—"

He was silenced when Levi came back to him, carding a hand into his hair and planting a kiss on his forehead. His lips brushed at his hairline as he spoke. "Then I'm taking care of a problem. I made a promise, Eren. I swear, no one will take Armin away from you."

Eren let out a strangled whimper when Levi pulled away. "What…how…?"

The older man stopped in front of the door, grabbing his keys and turning back to Eren. "I need you to believe in me, Eren. I'll be back as soon as I can. You can stay here, if you want…but you should be with Armin."

He didn't offer any further explanation as he walked out the door and closed it behind himself with a loud snap. He climbed into his car and sped off, grabbing his cellphone and dialing a number he hadn't called in years.

Three rings, then, "Long time no hear, Levi. I assume you need a favor."

"You assume correctly, Auruo." Levi said, tone flat. "I need a complete file on a man named Kitts Verman. Works for DCF. I want every dirty secret, every complaint lodged against him, and an address. Five minutes or less."

"Geez. I guess I shouldn't ask how life's going, then?" The man quipped, typing so fervently that Levi could hear it on his end of the line.

"You can. Doesn't mean you'll get an answer." Levi replied. "Four and a half minutes."

Auruo snorted. "Fair enough. Well, sounds like you're in a rush so I'm sending the address first. According to his schedule, though…he'll still be at work. Sending that address as well. He drives a black Camry, sending a photo of that."

"Criminal record?" Levi asked, sliding his phone into the holster by the radio controls so he could put it on speaker and pull up the email.

"Nothing solid. He was arrested a couple times...once for public intoxication; got drunk and was protesting outside a gay bar. He harassed some patrons but he didn't do enough for any charges to stick." Auruo explained.

"So he's a bigot, I know that much. What about his job? Complaints at work?" Levi questioned, typing the address into his car's built-in GPS as the other man spoke.

Auruo snorted. "Pft, only about…wow. He's had over two dozen complaints just in the last few years. His move to Florida wasn't voluntary: they just settled out of court for a case where he had attempted to remove a child from her home because the parents were gay. He was accused of convincing members of the church he attended to commit hate crimes against them. They moved him to Florida to avoid a scandal so he could keep his job."

"If he's causing so much trouble, why hasn't he simply been fired?" Levi asked, voice low as he cut his wheel, making a hard left to the point that his tires squealed.

"Looks like DCF is stretched thin enough as it is, and he's got some tenure there…about fifteen years. They're probably going to try to 'encourage him to retire' soon but firing him without concrete proof of something illegal happening was apparently not worth the hassle." Auruo explained.

"Ludicrous." Levi spat.

"I can hack the system and put in the order to terminate his employment…?" Auruo suggested.

"No, I'm taking a much more personal approach." Levi muttered darkly. "Get me his appointment schedule for the day."

"Sending it now. He had an appointment about an hour ago in Tarpon Springs, he's probably on the way back." Auruo disclosed as the alert popped up on Levi's phone. "His car doesn't have a GPS, so I can't track it, but I can track his cell if you give me a few minutes."

"Do it." Levi ordered.

"Pulling the cell number from his employment records...overriding privacy settings...just a few more...there we are! Heading south on US-19, about to cross the bridge onto Highway 60. If he's going to his office, you have twenty minutes."

So then, he'd probably called Eren on his way back from the appointment, which meant he still had a little time. "Thank you, Auruo. As always, this conversation didn't happen."

"Of course, boss."

"…I told you not to call me that anymore." Levi mumbled.

"I do question the point of leaving the business and cutting all ties if you're going to call in a favor every couple of years." Auruo retorted in something like a teasing tone as he blatantly ignored the comment.

"Sometimes I need someone with a specialized skill-set such as yourself. It helps to still have contacts. It's not something I involve myself in anymore unless strictly necessary." Levi countered.

"Of course, of course. This another favor for Erwin, then?" Auruo prodded.

Levi stiffened. "No, and I told you never to—"

"Yes, I know. My lips are sealed, it's just between us. I just think it's ironic, is all. I remember the days when you were cut-throat and all business. Got your addresses and your intel and hung up without another word." Auruo spoke wistfully. "Now you call only every few years and ask for favors for people I'd wager you actually consider friends. Just…interesting how the times have changed."

Levi paused for a moment before responding. "Not a word of this to anyone. You know the consequences."

"I know, I know. I rather value my fingers, thank you. Good luck with…whatever it is you're doing." Auruo replied.

Levi didn't even offer a good-bye as he hung up the phone, pulling the emails back up. He hated to rely on contacts from his old life, but he knew Auruo would take their conversations to the grave.

He followed the directions his GPS gave to a small building just off the side of a large, come-and-go strip mall. It seemed a little makeshift for something like DCF but apparently they really were stretched thin. He pulled into the parking garage, noting there was no security and no cameras. That made his job easier. He parked in a spot where his car was hidden by a large SUV, checking his watch. Verman should have been back any moment.

He climbed out of his car and moved to stand in a spot behind a large square pillar; from there, he could watch the entrance to the garage without being seen. The elevators were blocked off with caution tape, so he didn't need to worry about losing him in those. It was only a few minutes later when he saw a nondescript black Camry pull into the lot and park in one of the spots designated for DCF. The driver was an older man, grumbling as he pulled a stack of files out of his backseat. He balanced them in his arms before heading for the stairs a few lanes over.

In an instant, Levi was on the move, closing the distance between them quickly.

"Kitts Verman?" He called out, his voice even.

"Yeah, what do you want?" The man griped.

Levi snarled, grabbing the back of the man's collar and shoving his head into the handrail of the stairs. He yelped, dropping his files and cupping a hand over his face as blood rushed out of his nose. Levi quickly dug into the man's pocket, grabbing his cell phone as he stumbled to the ground where the papers were now scattered about.

"I'd like to have a little chat with you, Mr. Verman."

"What the—my nose! You broke it!" He cried, staring up at Levi from his place on his knees.

"I'll break more than that if you don't pay attention." Levi growled, his tone even and deadly. "You're a social worker, is that right?"

The man nodded. "Yes, I'm no one important, I'm just—"

"You're very familiar with domestic disputes, then, Mr. Verman? Ever come across a case involving the Yakuza?"

"I…yes. Once." Verman cleared his throat, his face turning white at the implications of that question even as the blood-flow finally began to ebb. "A…young girl, her…her mother was in witness protection from them."

"Particularly brutal, Yakuza politics, eh? They still make their own men commit seppuku when they're disgraced. Isn't that something?" Levi was pacing around him, like a panther stalking its prey. "Of course, they still need thugs to rough up the people outside the family, you know?"

"I don't—"

"I know, I don't look Japanese." Levi cut him off, sighing and shaking his head. "I'm only one-quarter, from my paternal grandfather. The rest is French. But I used to work for them…the Yakuza, I mean. I'm the one they sent out when they wanted someone…how should I put this? Roughed up a bit? No…it was a bit more than that. More like…make them wish they were dead, and then deny them such freedom from their pain."

Verman gulped, but Levi didn't give him the chance to speak.

"Now, the Yakuza…they're purists. A lot of them don't believe in interracial relationships, mixing with the white population, et cetera. Not very often they would let a mutt like me into their ranks…which must make you beg the question: just how good was I that they simply overlooked it?"

Verman blinked, but Levi continued, not allowing interruption.

"Not only did they overlook it…they rather appreciated my services. Feared me, even. You know what they used to call me? 'Heichou', they'd dubbed me. That's a Lance Corporal, in their military. I had people following my orders. Not bad for a barely-Japanese mutt, huh? Guess my methods spoke for themselves…"

Verman stared at him with wide eyes. "What do you want?"

"I'm here to make a deal with you." Levi drawled, popping his knuckles one by one as he continued pacing around the man. "You leave the Jaeger family alone. Outside of routine reviews, which you will sign off on as perfect and completely free of concern, I never want to see you speak to Eren or Armin Jaeger again…do you understand me?"

Verman nodded emphatically. Any hatred he felt toward Jaeger was nothing compared to his sense of self-preservation.

"And in exchange, I will not break your legs and dump you into the Gulf of Mexico. Do we have an arrangement?" Levi asked, his eyes deadly as he stared the other man down.

The man nodded again, looking up at him desperately. "Yes, yes…please, just don't hurt me."

"Hurt you? I didn't hurt you…that broken nose and dislocated shoulder happened when you fell down the stairs."

Verman blinked at him. "Dislocated—stairs? What?"

Levi hauled the man to his feet by his collar, grabbing his arm. He twisted it painfully and yanked, hearing the tell-tale pop even over Verman's scream. He let him go and brought his foot up, shoving at the man's chest with his boot.

"Whoopsie." Levi taunted as the man tripped, stumbling back and falling at the base of the concrete stairs behind him.

Levi pegged the man's cellphone at him, the device making a hollow thump when it hit his chest. "Just a reminder that I don't play games. Call yourself an ambulance. Tell them you tripped. And if you tell them about me or go against our deal, I will know. I will know, I will find you, and I'll make you wish for something as simple and sweet as the pain of a broken nose and dislocated shoulder."

"I-I won't, I s-swear!" He cried, grabbing at the phone weakly with his uninjured hand.

"Good. Then let us hope we never meet again, vermin." Levi spat the nickname venomously before turning on a heel and walking away, wanting to get to his car before an ambulance arrived.

He sped home, not much safer or slower than he had to get out there, not even noticing if Eren's car was still outside his apartment. When he opened the door, he was a little surprised to see Eren still sitting there on his couch. He'd taken off his shoes and had his knees curled to his chest as he thumbed absently at the book the other man had left there on the sofa.

"Levi!" Eren jumped to his feet, wiping the remains of tears from his face. "I didn't know how long you'd be, and Armin's still at school, so I—"

Levi cut him off when he pulled the boy into a hug, petting at his hair gently. "It's okay, Eren. He won't take Armin away from you, I promise."

Eren's arms hesitated at Levi's waist. "What…what did you do, Levi?"

"Don't ask me that. Just know that I would do anything to keep you and Armin together."

Eren cringed, pulling back and taking Levi's right hand into his. There was no fresh damage to the knuckles: just healed scabs and even older scars. If he had done anything, he hadn't used his fists. He didn't want to think of the possibility of anything else. He wanted to believe that Levi had somehow magically fixed his problem in a way that wasn't illegal or going to come back and bite them later. He felt the tears returning as he kissed the back of Levi's hand, and the other man pulled him close again.

"Just three more years, Eren. Three years and no one can threaten to take Armin from you ever again. I won't let them. I promise."

Eren nodded against Levi's shoulder. He wanted to believe that, with all his heart. But three years was a long time, and he was walking a dangerous line by being in a line of work that could be seen as damaging to a young teenager.

"Come on, I'll call Erwin and tell him you can't come in." Levi said softly, leading Eren down the hall with a hand at the small of his back.

The boy pulled back, balking. "What? No, I can't skip work, I—"

"It's not up for debate." Levi cut him off, his voice steely with resolve but not unkind. "You're in no condition to go in today. Now get your jeans off and lie down. Have you eaten?"

"I…I had breakfast with Armin." Eren told him as they made their way to the bedroom. Levi let him go, nudging him softly. The boy sighed, pulling off his jeans as he'd been essentially ordered. He folded them and put them on the nightstand on what had basically been dubbed as 'his side' of the bed as Levi circled to his own side, ditching his jeans as well and pulling out his phone before they hit the floor.

"All right…let me know when you want lunch." Levi said, climbing into the bed and patting the space next to him. Eren sighed again, but did as he was told, curling up against Levi's chest as he sat up, leaning on the headboard. He dialed Erwin's number, petting through Eren's hair absently as he explained the boy couldn't come in today as he'd had a family emergency to take care of. Erwin was more than understanding, assuring him he'd get Annie to cover the shift and wishing Eren the best, even asking if he could be of any help. Levi told him he'd already taken care of it and with that, he hung up, setting his phone aside.

"Thank you." Eren murmured softly.

Levi just stroked through the boy's perpetually messy hair. "Of course, Eren."

Eren shook his head, leaning up so he could look the older man in the eye. "No…you always say that, but…you do more for me than anyone. You never ask for anything in return, and I never really get to thank you."

Levi shook his head. "Eren, you thank me all the time. You've made me beautiful homemade dinners, sat through movies you hate because I wanted to see them, and you even indulged my request for ropes that one time…"

Eren blushed beet-red at that, shaking his head. "No, it's not the same. I mean you, you go far above anything—"

"I thought that came with the territory…the 'being boyfriends' thing?" Levi deadpanned, raising an eyebrow like he was legitimately confused.

"No, I mean yes, it is, but…you go beyond that." Eren insisted. "I mean, I know you promised Armin, but what you've done for me, for us—"

"I did make Armin a promise." Levi conceded, thumb brushing along the boy's chin. "But I do these things because I love you, Eren."

Eren felt his breath get caught in his throat and he swore his heart actually skipped a beat. He just stared into Levi's eyes, finding no humor or sarcasm there; just affection…and maybe a little apprehension. Eren just leaned forward and kissed it all away, murmuring against Levi's lips that he loved him, too. He felt the tension leave the older man's shoulder with a relieved sigh at that, but he swallowed it down, swallowed it all as he carded a hand into Levi's hair and kissed him like it was all that mattered.

That day, for the first time, they didn't just have sex. They made love.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

- - - Two Years Later - - -

Eren's stomach was doing flips the closer they got to Armin's eighteenth birthday. It was like a massive weight was ready to be lifted off his shoulders; not having to worry about DCF breathing down his neck anymore was something he more than looked forward to. Even though he hadn't had any problems since the Kitts Verman incident (Levi still refused to tell Eren what he'd done to resolve that and frankly Eren wasn't sure he wanted to know), but he was still glad he and Armin were going to be able to live their lives free of that shadow.

What he wasn't sure he was glad about, was Armin wanting to come to Club Tryst after his birthday.

Erwin was selling the place, as Levi and Eren were going to be moving away and with his two star dancers leaving, the businessman decided it was time to move on to different ventures. He and Zoe (the accountant who Eren barely ever met and found to be a tad over-zealous about money) had gotten married in the last year and wanted to move on to greener pastures, move out of the state and start a bed and breakfast somewhere up north.

Mikasa ended up getting a job with a very prestigious marketing firm once she'd finished her earning her degree about a year after Eren started working for the club. She was hesitant to move away to a bigger city, but Eren and Armin wanted to see her pursue her dreams. Reiner had left some months prior, having gotten a promising gig in construction. Jean and Marco...well, that was a story. Sasha told Jean he either needed to up and get serious or it was over, because she was done with the on-again, off-again bit. Jean decided to take the opportunity to confess that he and Marco were seeing each other and they basically just eloped the next day. Eren still cracked up every time he told that story because Sasha's face had been priceless, and Jean admitting he wasn't as straight as he thought he was, well that was permanently burned into his mind.

Armin had gotten into a prestigious college on a full scholarship and once he knew where the boy was going to be living, Eren enlisted into the Marine Corps. Armin would be attending college in Charleston, SC and Eren was going to end up stationed in Jacksonville, NC, so they'd only be four hours away from each other. Armin had decided to pursue a degree in Engineering while Eren was starting what he was hoping would be a military career, one that would keep him close to home.

They'd taken a trip up to look at Armin's new school and decided to go the extra few hours to Camp Lejeune to check out some places in the area. Levi wasn't sure what he wanted to do…he didn't want to go back to school at his age, but he had certainly outgrown the stripping (and the new area was not the place for male strippers anyway). He did find out there were a lot of strip clubs in the area with female dancers (the constant supply and turnover of Marines on base made the market very lucrative), and with a little help from Erwin, was able to secure a job managing one of them. He hoped to buy it out from the owner one day, just as Erwin had.

They also had to do some home-shopping, since although Armin was required to live at The Citadel while he attended school there, Eren preferred to have a home off-base where he could live with Levi. They'd spent hours looking at cookie-cutter apartment complexes, and when they got home, Eren was going through a list of them on his computer trying to decide. Levi, however, had been saving his tips for years, so upon seeing his boyfriend's frustration, he slapped about $25,000 cash for a down-payment in front of him and told him to pick his dream house.

Levi had the best sex of his life that night, once Eren had looked at some lovely homes nearby with lawns and white fences and porches. He'd never seen the kid so happy…and he was thrilled he was the one who'd made him that way.

Now, they were heading into Club Tryst for the exclusive farewell performance and celebration. Erwin came over to greet them immediately, smiling widely with his wife on his arm. He shook Armin's hand enthusiastically, glad to finally see him in the club, at least as a guest.

Eren was nervous, admittedly. He wasn't sure why. It just felt so…final. The last performance, his last time dancing, probably ever. Next week, he'd be in boot camp at Parris Island. Joining the military was something he always wanted to do, but he was worried somehow they'd find out about his past in the business and he'd end up being the butt of every joke. The thought was never more prevalent in his mind than right now, and his boyfriend took notice.

"Don't be nervous, Eren." Levi said softly, giving the younger man a reassuring kiss on the temple as he placed an anchoring hand at the small of his back.

"God, you two are so mushy." Armin stuck out his tongue. "Am I really gonna have to sit at a table alone?"

"Sorry for not providing you with a hot stripper date." Levi told him, deadpan.

Armin shoved at his arm as Eren laughed. "Very funny."

"That's all right, Armin can sit with our guests of honor." Erwin said, bringing them over to the table that was front and center where a woman and five young men were sitting. They were all incredibly attractive and clearly cut under their dress clothes. "This is Miho Amakata. She's the one who purchased the club."

The woman stood, smiling and shaking Armin's hand. English clearly wasn't her first language, but she spoke it perfectly regardless. "Lovely to meet you. These are my boys…well, no relation, but they're my dance troupe, so they're 'my boys'." She pointed to each one in turn. "Makoto, Haru, Nagisa, Rei and Rin. They'll be my star dancers when we turn this into Club Free! next week."

Eren, Armin, Levi and Erwin all exchanged handshakes with them, wishing them luck. They were all very interested to see the show, but particularly the one with the glasses (Eren thought his name was Rei), who had a pad of paper for taking notes and everything. Each of them also spoke flawless English, but when Levi offered them a greeting and told them to enjoy the show in perfectly executed Japanese, Eren about melted.

They pulled over a chair for Armin before Eren, Levi and Erwin headed backstage, receiving well-wishes and the ever popular, 'break a leg!'

"I will bet you big money that lady's gonna use this place as a front for the Yakuza." Levi murmured to Eren once they were out of shot.

Eren choked, scoffing. "What? No way…"

"She and all those guys are from Japan, first generation I'd wager. Citizenship isn't easy to come by…" Levi elaborated.

"She's not Yakuza…she just happens to be from Japan. She owned one of those Host or…Maid cafés over there or something. Her dance troupe had a very wealthy sponsor bring them to the US. Don't be so dramatic, Levi." Erwin teased.

Levi huffed, crossing his arms as they got backstage. When Eren kissed him softly, though, he relaxed, sighing and rolling his shoulders.

"Ready for our last dance?" Eren asked, rubbing circles into the older man's back with his thumb.

Levi nodded. "You?"

Eren smiled, returning the nod. "Yes. Ready to bow out for the last time, that's for sure."

"Moving on to bigger and better things, right boys?" Erwin beamed, clamping a hand onto both their shoulders.

"Here's hoping." Eren replied with a grin. "How about you, Erwin? Excited to get back out onto the stage?"

"For the first time in many years, and the last time ever, hopefully." Erwin returned. "I'm getting a bit old for the trade, I think."

Erwin had started as a dancer in the club almost two decades prior and had bought it out from the original owner...he acquired the restaurant in time, too, but he never danced after taking over the club. At least not until today.

"Well, if it's any consolation, you dance well for an old man." Levi teased.

Erwin barked a laugh. "Gotta say, I'm gonna miss you boys."

Eren smiled at that. "We'll miss you, too, Erwin. It's been fun."

They were pulled out of their conversation when Zoe's voice came over the microphone as she stepped into the spotlight. "May I have your attention please..."

The three men nodded to each other, heading out onto the stage under the cover of darkness. The only light was the one on Zoe.

"Ladies and Gentleman, may we present for your viewing pleasure…the final performance of Club Tryst."

The crowd applauded, Armin's whooping being the loudest of all. Eren blushed, feeling a nervous curl in his stomach...but when he looked over, Levi's reassuring gaze quelled his anxiety.

For the first time ever, and what would be the last time, the lights came up and Eren, Levi and Erwin all stood center-stage. They were in a triangle formation, dressed in strapping black suits, and the moment the music started, they moved in unison. Erwin was in the middle with Levi stage-left of him and Eren stage-right as all three men stood between the two poles at the center of the platform.

So hot, out of the box,  
Can we pick up the pace?  
Turn it up, heat it up,  
I need to be entertained.  
Push the limit, are you with it?  
Baby don't be afraid.  
I'ma hurt you real good baby…

They'd been rehearsing for weeks, but this was their first time with an audience. Each of their dancing styles was very similar, so they complimented each other well. Levi was precise and fluid, Eren was fluid and strong, Erwin was strong and precise. Together they were a powerhouse of exact, in-sync movements and sensual, rolling hips.

Let's go, it's my show, baby, do what I say,  
Don't trip off the glitz that I'm gonna display.  
I told you, I'ma hold ya down until you're amazed.  
Give it to ya 'til you're screamin' my name...

All three men peeled off their jackets and twirled them over their heads before flinging them off the stage. That left Eren and Levi just in their dress shirts and Erwin in just a vest.

No escaping when I start,  
Once I'm in I own your heart,  
There's no way you'll ring the alarm,  
So hold on until it's over...

Erwin turned around and held his arms out as if motioning to the other men as they ripped open their shirts and slid them off their shoulders with a dirty grinding of hips. They pitched the shirts to opposite sides of the stage just as Erwin turned back around to face the audience, throwing open his own vest.

Oh!  
Do you know what you got into?  
Can you handle what I'm 'bout to do?  
'Cause it's about to get rough for you.  
I'm here for your entertainment.

They danced in tandem, identical moves to an identical beat in choreography that was more impressive than just your average strip-joint. Armin moved past mild embarrassment into awe as he watched.

Oh!  
I bet you thought that I was soft and sweet.  
You thought an angel swept you off your feet.  
But I'm about to turn up the heat.  
I'm here for your entertainment...

At the end of the first chorus, Levi and Eren broke away from Erwin, heading for the poles, posing and sliding around the bottom first with their feet still on the ground.

It's all right,  
You'll be fine,  
Baby I'm in control.  
Take the pain,  
Take the pleasure,  
I'm the master of both...

Eren and Levi both posed on their respective poles as Erwin acted like a puppeteer between them: Eren's moves depicting pleasure while Levi's represented pain, arms crossed above him as if he were bound.

Close your eyes, not your mind  
Let me into your soul,  
I'm gonna work it 'til your totally blown...

Eren and Levi danced sensually around the base of the poles while Erwin followed a complimentary routine between them. Erwin hadn't lost any of his sensuality despite not dancing for years, and Zoe watched with a dreamy look on her face.

No escaping when I start.  
Once I'm in I own your heart.  
There's no way you'll ring the alarm.  
So hold on 'til it's over...

When the chorus started, Erwin pulled off his vest while the other two got rid of their pants, Erwin dancing between the poles while Eren and Levi worked them, climbing up and kicking out, then sliding down into a new pose.

Oh!  
Do you know what you got into?  
Can you handle what I am about to do?  
'Cause it's about to get rough for you.  
I'm here for your entertainment...

Levi and Eren's spins and straddles were completely in sync; even when they were upside down and hanging on by a single arm, they were perfectly in time. They both performed an inverted elbow-handstand, a move that Levi had spent months teaching Eren. When they transitioned into a Superman pose, their hands touched over Erwin, and they offered each other a small smile before the next move.

Oh!  
Do you like what you see?  
Oh!  
Let me entertain ya 'til you scream...

Levi and Eren dropped to the base of their respective poles again and joined Erwin in the center again for the final chorus. They danced in unison, engaging choreography that showcased their perfect timing and precise movements.

Oh!  
I bet you thought that I was soft and sweet.  
You thought an angel swept you off your feet.  
But I'm about to turn up the heat.  
I'm here for your entertainment...

They finished the routine to roaring applause, crinkled bills flying at them…although not as much as usual since most of the people there were friends and family. The three men bowed out for the last time before heading backstage to shower and change.

The house lights were brought up and the waitresses broke out the drinks for the main event: the farewell party for the club. Once they'd joined the festivities, Levi kept a subtle eye out to make sure no one was trying to serve Armin alcohol...he didn't need to get in trouble with the law weeks before starting college. Right now the boy was chatting with the blond kid from Japan, who didn't remotely look eighteen despite what Erwin had said.

He was pulled back into his own conversation when Eren's hip nudged at his own. Rei, the kid from Japan with the glasses, was asking all sorts of questions about their routine and he was just letting Eren answer for him as he stood next to him with an arm around his waist. Levi offered some tips at Eren's insistence, but his mind was elsewhere.

Levi was just eager to start their life together in a new place…free from the strip club, from Levi's past, from DCF breathing down Eren's neck…he wanted to live in that lovely two-story colonial that Eren had fallen in love with and fought tooth-and-nail to get the loan approved on. He wanted Bean to have a yard to run around in in his later years. He wanted to be away from the Florida heat; get to actually enjoy snowfall in the winter, even if it meant shoveling it off the driveway and stocking up on salt. He told Eren all of this as they drove home, and the younger man, always so in-tune and empathetic toward others (but mostly Levi), had asked him what was wrong, why he'd been so quiet all evening.

He didn't tell Eren about the small box in he was hiding in the back pocket of his jeans, figuring that was better saved for another time…

- - - END - - -


End file.
